MIAMI -- The 49-year-old Austrian tourist who was bitten by a shark and died Monday was diving near the Bahamas in water that had been baited with bloody fish parts to attract the predators.

According to the U.S. Coast Guard, Markus Groh was about 50 miles east of Fort Lauderdale when a shark bit him Sunday morning. The Coast Guard received a mayday from the crew of the Shear Water, a 70-foot commercial diving vessel, at about 10 a.m.

A Coast Guard helicopter crew hoisted the man to safety and airlifted him to Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, where he later died.

Groh, a lawyer from Vienna, was on a tour that allows divers to swim near sharks. The expedition was run by Jim Abernethy's Scuba Adventures. The company's Web site states: "These unique shark trips are being run exclusively for shark enthusiasts and photographers. . . To insure the best results we will be 'chumming' the water with fish and fish parts. Consequently, there will be food in the water at the same time as the divers. Please be aware that these are not 'cage' dives, they are open water experiences."

Authorities said Groh was bitten on the leg but had no further details about the extent of his injuries.

It was unclear what type of shark bit him. The shark got away before anyone identified the species.

The Miami-Dade Police Department is investigating the incident.