Man attacked by great white shark after ignoring warnings (VIDEO)

A man has lost his legs to a great white shark at a beach near Cape Town, South Africa, after ignoring repeated warnings about sharks in the area and going for a swim.

The 42-year-old man, believed to be a British citizen living in South Africa, went swimming at a beach in Fish Hoek despite the fact that the beach was closed and the shark flag was flying, indicating the presence of a great white shark, Cape Town authorities told the BBC.

Rescuers found the man on the shore with his right leg bitten off. Part of his left leg was also missing after being attacked by the shark, the Telegraph reports. The man, who has not been named, was airlifted to a Cape Town hospital where he remains in critical condition.

According to the Telegraph, a statement released by South Africa's National Sea Rescue Institute said the man had ignored warnings not to enter the water.

"From what we understand the City of Cape Town shark spotters had flown the "sharks present — no swimming" flags since early this morning and bathers to Fish Hoek and the individual had personally been warned, by the shark spotters, not to swim due to the presence of at least three White Sharks visible in the water close inshore since this morning," the statement said.

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Amateur video taken shortly after the attack shows the man being airlifted by helicopter from the scene, and a large shark still looming in the waters. In the video, the shark is swimming just off the shoreline at Fish Hoek, a resort town about 20 miles from Cape Town.