Shark Attack, Kills Film Director in New Zealand [VIDEO]

A shark killed an award-winning director in New Zealand as he swam alone some 650 feet from the shore, resulting in authorities opening fire in order to scare away the Great White and other sharks that had gathered, according to local reports.

The victim was 46-year-old Adam Strange, an award-winning director of short films, and who also directed international commercials for Pepsi. Witnesses called police and lifeguards when the attack occurred about 1:30 p.m. local time Wednesday (7:30 p.m. ET Tuesday), but it was too late to save the man, the New Zealand Herald newspaper reported.

Strange was swimming about 650 feet (200 meters ) offshore from Muriwai Beach when he was attacked, New Zealand Police Inspector Shawn Rutene said. He added police went out in inflatable lifesaving boats and shot at the shark, which they estimated was 12 to 14 feet long.

According to eye witness Pio Mosie, who was fishing at the beach, the shark attack victim "raised his hand up, the next minute he went down, the shark pulled him down". He was first attacked by one shark but soon afterwards, a Mosie says that up to three more sharks came.

Police were able to distract the shark, while paramedics managed to get the victim into the surf boat and onto the shore

"It rolled over and disappeared," Inspector Rutene said, without saying whether police were certain that they killed the creature.

Strange won a Crystal Bear award for best short film at the 2009 Berlin Film Festival. In a biography on Strange's website, he described himself as an avid outdoorsman.

"When I get a spare 5 minutes, I like to make a fruit smoothy, surf some big waves out on the West Coast," the site says.

Strange leaves behind his wife, Meg Strange and their 2-year-old daughter.