'It was fairly close to the shore': Surfer, 46, missing and feared dead following shark attack near 'breeding ground'
ELLISTON, AUSTRALIA: A 46-year-old man has reportedly gone missing from a secluded area of South Australian coast after a shark attack while he was surfing on Saturday morning, May 13. The incident took place near Elliston on the Eyre Peninsula's west coast, approximately 403 miles from Adelaide.
The man was attacked while he was in the water, and SA Ambulance services were contacted for assistance around 10.15 am local time on Saturday. As of now, the man remains missing and authorities are conducting a search in the waters to find him. Concerns are growing that he may have sustained life-threatening injuries due to the shark attack.
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Surfboard has been recovered
Trevlyn Smith, the unit manager of Streaky Bay SES, said that he was informed that there were almost 16 other people in the area when the incident occurred. Some of them may have even witnessed the attack. "There were obviously several people in the water and from what I can hear there were witnesses that saw evidence of the attack," he told ABC, adding, "It was fairly close to the shore I believe."
According to Smith, the man's surfboard has been recovered. "We were told that they had recovered the surfboard, by [a searcher on] a jetski as I understand, and then that was transferred onto one of the local vessels," he said, adding, "We've got a missing person, they've already got the surfboard ... we're just looking for anything that relates to [that] person." He said there was "absolute shock and dismay" at what had happened and that the man was "well known" in the local community.
The South Australian Ambulance Service has deployed crews to the beach, and they are on standby while the SA Police conduct the search. The search is also being aided by SAAS helicopters and boats.
Shark sightings in Elliston
The area where the attack took place, Elliston, is located on the remote west coast of South Australia's Eyre Peninsula, which has a history of shark encounters with humans. Despite this, the area remains popular among surfers and divers.
The Great Australian Bight, including the Elliston coast, are known for teeming with sharks, including great whites. Google Maps even marks a "shark breeding ground" just south of Walkers Rocks Beach, where the recent attack took place. Port Lincoln, located towards the southern tip of the Eyre Peninsula, is known for its cage diving tour operators, which attracts people hoping to see great white sharks up close. While other states have seen a higher frequency of fatal shark attacks in recent years, the Bight was the site of two deadly attacks in as many days back in 2000, highlighting the potential dangers of sharks in the region.
