Aussie surfer killed by great white shark after warning others

A surfer in Australia died on Tuesday after he was mauled by a shark off the coast of New South Wales.

The 59-year-old man was surfing while on vacation with his friends at Tuncurry Beach.

He experienced severe blood loss and went into cardiac arrest after the shark tore at his thigh.

His friends were able to drag him to shore where he received treatment from four ambulances but ultimately succumbed to his injuries.

Joshua Smyth, NSW Ambulance inspector, praised members of the public who had managed to bring the man ashore.

“Bystanders, including a retired paramedic, did a valiant job pulling the patient from the water and commencing CPR before paramedics arrived,” he said.

Police Superintendent Chris Schilt said, “It’s believed that when the attack occurred the man did actually see the shark and called out to try to warn others.”

The attack was the first fatal shark attack in Australia this year, according to the Taronga Conservation Society, which records shark fatalities.

The beach was closed on Wednesday as authorities searched for the great white shark believed to have bitten the unidentified man.

Two great whites, each measuring nearly 5m, were later spotted by drones flying above the waters near the beach.

“Any target sharks that are caught will be relocated about 1.5km offshore before being tagged and released,” the NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) said.

White, Bull and Tiger Sharks are referred to as “target sharks” as they are the three sharks that are most frequently involved in serious shark bites in NSW and are the focus of the NSW government’s tagging and tracking and shark mitigation programmes.

The DPI has advised water users and beach goers to follow the NSW SharkSmart Twitter feed or download the SharkSmart app for the latest information on shark movements and sightings.

Eight people were killed in shark attacks in Australian waters last year, according to the Taronga Conservation Society.

In January a man went missing in waters off Port MacDonnell in South Australia, and his torn wetsuit was later found, but his case was not recorded as an official shark fatality.

White Sharks are a protected species in some parts of Australia, and anyone harassing a great white is liable to a penalty of up to A$100,000 or two years imprisonment.