Shark attack: Simon Nellist's wetsuit may have led shark to MISTAKE him for a seal
Shocking speculation has been made in the tragic death of a British expat, Simon Nellist, who was fatally attacked by a shark on February 16. The 35-year-old was swimming at Buchan Point, near Little Bay in Sydney's east, as he practiced for a charity event scheduled to happen on Sunday, February 20. Now, a chilling theory states that he was probably targeted by the 4.5-meter predator because of his wetsuit.
A swimmer named Barabara, who often saw Nellist, said: “He always wore a wetsuit, but the water here is quite warm and no one else really wears one.” However, an expert Lawrence Chlebeck, of Humane Society International, has earlier said that there were chances the shark had mixed up the swimmer for a seal when it attacked him. “Great white sharks are obviously large predators that expend a lot of energy so they need a lot of high-energy food and the blubber of a seal is perfect for that,” Chlebeck added.
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The swimmer, who was a dive instructor, was living in Australia for over half a decade. He was soon to marry his girlfriend, Jessie Ho, who also lived in Sydney. A friend of Nellist told The Sun, “Him and Jessie were due to get married last year but that got put off because of Covid. It’s just horrendous. We spent most of yesterday just hoping and praying it wasn’t him. It’s still incredibly raw,” before mentioning, “Simon was amazing. That’s all there is to say really. He was just the best. He was the nicest, kindest human. It is a huge loss. In the last couple of years we haven’t been able to see him because of the Covid situation.”
The friend also said that Nellist was well-aware of water. They added: “He was massively into wildlife and knew exactly what he was doing. He wasn’t daft. It’s just a freak accident. Simon was doing his diving and he would send us the most amazing videos of the wildlife out there. He was so respectful of the wildlife. He finished in the RAF about six years ago and he went traveling and then just fell in love with it out there. Then he fell in love with Jessie. I know he did some pretty big tours with the RAF.”
It has been said that his sudden and unexpected death has left his family devastated. His 62-year-old aunt Jacqui Seager said: “Simon always loved the sea. He was always very close to it. He loved wildlife and the world. He had a real love affair with nature. He was a very kind and considerate man who just loved life. He was a strong guy and did two tours of Afghanistan. His mum said how could he return from the frontline unscathed to then go to Australia, go out for a swim and get killed.”
Seager also claimed that Nellist wouldn’t want the predator shark to be killed. She added: “I don't think Simon would want the shark to be killed. He loved nature. He swam with sharks before. This isn't the first time he's gone out and seen them but he would still go out swimming. That's brave. I don't think he ever thought they would hurt him. Sadly, this time it managed to get to him. It's absolutely horrendous. We are all in shock.”