Johannesburg - A 16-year-old surfer died after being attacked by a shark off the coast of South Africa, local media reported Monday.

The youth was part of a group conducting a surfing exercise in Port St Johns, Eastern Cape province when the shark bit him in the leg and buttocks, the region's newspaper, The Herald, reported.

He managed to paddle to shore, where his instructor and a lifeguard pulled him to safety. But he died later in the hospital from his injuries.

The incident is the second of its kind along the ruggedly beautiful Wild Coast in two months.

A 25-year-old man was savaged by a giant Zambezi shark while swimming with friends in the same waters in January, the paper said.

The local coast guard was quoted as saying the increased number of surfers in the area could be attracting sharks and that several methods of protecting people were under consideration, including shark nets.

Shark nets are used further north along the coast to protect the resorts around the city of Durban. (dpa)