An Italian tourist died Friday after being attacked by a shark off the coast of Colombia's San Andres island in the Caribbean Sea, local media reported.

The 56-year-old man, identified by Colombian press as Antonio Roseto Degli Abruzzi, was swimming near a cliff when he was bitten by the shark.

"Yes, he died," a senior Navy official, who asked to remain anonymous, told AFP.

The Teleislas channel said the unusual attack took place in an area known as "La Piscinita," on the southwest side of San Andres, which is about 380 kilometers (235 miles) off the coast of Nicaragua.

The shark attack occurred in an area with few swimmers, local media said.