kirbo
17-08-2010, 12:12 PM
Rescuers tell of horrific shark attack at Cowaramup Beach in South-West
http://resources2.news.com.au/images/2010/08/17/1225906/292894-pn-slideshow-shark-attack.jpg
PERTH NOW LINK (http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/shark-attack-at-cowaramup-beach-in-south-west/story-e6frg12c-1225906287496)
WITNESSES have told how they dragged a fatally injured surfer from a South-West beach and desperately tried to revive him after an horrific shark attack this morning.
The 31-year-old Busselton man, whose name has not yet been released, had been surfing the popular Gracetown break, South Point, when he was savaged by the shark about 8.15am.
Emergency services workers rushed to the scene and paramedics transported the injured man to Margaret River Hospital, where he later died.
Locals revealed how six people, mostly fellow surfers, dragged the critically injured man from the swell and administered CPR for 20 minutes until an ambulance arrived. One of his legs had been shredded by the giant beast.
It is believed a pod of seals may have attracted the shark to the area.
Gracetown resident Rob Alder, who did CPR on the injured surfer, said he had been checking the surf from his balcony when he noticed half a board floating without a rider.
``We ran down and found him on the rocks,'' Mr Alder said.
``We pulled him up on to the shore and gave him CPR. He was unconscious and as white as a sheet but we got some colour back into him. We thought he had a chance.''
Another local surfer Eddie Kilgallon, 42, was surfing another wave at Huzzas, about 200m from South Point, when he heard shouting from the carpark and local surfboard shaper Matt Manners yelling: ``Shark! Shark!''.
``There was four of us in the water and we all freaked out,'' Mr Kilgallon said.
``We started paddling for shore and a pod of seals came up in the middle of us.
``I thought it was a shark at first and thought: `This is it, I'm gone too'.''
Mr Kilgallon ran along the shore to where the victim had been dragged out of the water.
``We wrapped a jumper around his legs and used a leg rope as a torniquet,'' he said.
``I was holding what was left of his leg together. The bottom half of his thigh was exposed and ripped open. Half of his calf muscle was also torn to shreds.
``The boys were giving him CPR just talking to him, doing everything they could.
``I saw he had a wedding ring and was telling him that his wife wanted to see him again.
``His face was white but we started to get colour back into him. That's when I thought he might have a chance.''
Mr Alder broke down when he heard that the injured surfer had died.
``It was an honour to try and save a brother. It feels like I've lost a brother.
``We treated him real good. We did everything we possibly could. He didn't die alone. We really pumped his heart. I did mouth-to-mouth and gave him my breath, but it wasn't enough.
``If I had have been attacked, that's how I would like to be looked after. We're surfers, it could happen to any of us at any time.''
Another Gracetown local, who did not want to be named, said he saw thrashing in the water.
``There was so much white wash it must have been a very big shark. It was thrashing around and then I saw a guy swim for the rocks.''
He said local surfers did a fantastic job keeping the injured man alive for as long as they could.
Local rangers retrieved the man's surfboard, which had snapped cleanly in half.
American visitor Chance Smith, 25, who was surfing North Point on the other side of the bay, said a large pod of seals swam by moments before the attack.
He said the victim's injuries were ``horrific''.
Police have not released the man's identity.
His death is the first fatal shark attack in WA since December 2008 when Port Kennedy man Brian Guest, 51, was taken by a giant white pointer in about 5m of water while snorkelling for crabs with his son Daniel near their beachside home.
Recent WA Shark Attacks
October 1997: Former St Kilda footballer Brian Sierakowski and friend Barney Hanrahan escaped when a 5m white pointer attacked their double surf-ski 150m off Cottesloe.
October 2000: Greg Pickering, 47, a professional diver from Ocean Reef, was mauled by a 1.5m bronze whaler 9km off Cervantes.
November 2000: Businessman Ken Crew, 48, was killed by a 4m white pointer in waist-deep water at North Cottesloe.
February 2001: A 5m white pointer leapt out of the water off Albany and clamped its jaws around an outboard motor as Don and Margaret Stubbs watched in horror.
January 2004
Allan Oppert was attacked while diving for lobster 24km offshore in Binningup, north of Bunbury. He survived, despite being bitten 11 times below the knees.
June 2004
: Surfer Tom O'Brien, 17, was bitten on a foot by a bronze whaler off Bunbury's Back Beach.
July 2004:
Carpenter Brad Smith, 29, was attacked and killed by two sharks while surfing off Gracetown.
March 2005:
A 6m white pointer killed boat skipper Geoffrey Brazier, 26, while he snorkelled off the Abrolhos Islands.
September 2005
: Surfer Brad Satchell scared off a 1.3m shark by punching it on the nose as it lined up to attack him 150m off Scarborough.
January 2006
: Diver Bernie Williams was attacked by a 3.5m white pointer about 5km off City Beach. He received only minor wounds to his arms and said a mate's electronic shark deterrent saved his life.
December 2006
: 15-year-old Zac Golebiowski from South Australia loses a leg in a shark attack east of Esperance. He was attacked by a 4.5m white pointer.
May 2007
: Ellenbrook mother-of-five Becky Cooke had her foot torn to pieces by a reef shark near Coral Bay while holding her toddler in 30cm of water.
July 2007:
Scotch College College student Angus Chapman, 15, was attacked by a 1.5m bronze whaler in chest-deep water in the Cocos (Keeling) Islands.
November 2007
: A man survives a shark attack off the Kimberley coast.
December 2008
Port Kennedy fisherman Brian Guest, 51, taken by a giant white pointer while snorkelling for crabs in about 5m of water near his beachside home.
http://resources2.news.com.au/images/2010/08/17/1225906/292894-pn-slideshow-shark-attack.jpg
PERTH NOW LINK (http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/shark-attack-at-cowaramup-beach-in-south-west/story-e6frg12c-1225906287496)
WITNESSES have told how they dragged a fatally injured surfer from a South-West beach and desperately tried to revive him after an horrific shark attack this morning.
The 31-year-old Busselton man, whose name has not yet been released, had been surfing the popular Gracetown break, South Point, when he was savaged by the shark about 8.15am.
Emergency services workers rushed to the scene and paramedics transported the injured man to Margaret River Hospital, where he later died.
Locals revealed how six people, mostly fellow surfers, dragged the critically injured man from the swell and administered CPR for 20 minutes until an ambulance arrived. One of his legs had been shredded by the giant beast.
It is believed a pod of seals may have attracted the shark to the area.
Gracetown resident Rob Alder, who did CPR on the injured surfer, said he had been checking the surf from his balcony when he noticed half a board floating without a rider.
``We ran down and found him on the rocks,'' Mr Alder said.
``We pulled him up on to the shore and gave him CPR. He was unconscious and as white as a sheet but we got some colour back into him. We thought he had a chance.''
Another local surfer Eddie Kilgallon, 42, was surfing another wave at Huzzas, about 200m from South Point, when he heard shouting from the carpark and local surfboard shaper Matt Manners yelling: ``Shark! Shark!''.
``There was four of us in the water and we all freaked out,'' Mr Kilgallon said.
``We started paddling for shore and a pod of seals came up in the middle of us.
``I thought it was a shark at first and thought: `This is it, I'm gone too'.''
Mr Kilgallon ran along the shore to where the victim had been dragged out of the water.
``We wrapped a jumper around his legs and used a leg rope as a torniquet,'' he said.
``I was holding what was left of his leg together. The bottom half of his thigh was exposed and ripped open. Half of his calf muscle was also torn to shreds.
``The boys were giving him CPR just talking to him, doing everything they could.
``I saw he had a wedding ring and was telling him that his wife wanted to see him again.
``His face was white but we started to get colour back into him. That's when I thought he might have a chance.''
Mr Alder broke down when he heard that the injured surfer had died.
``It was an honour to try and save a brother. It feels like I've lost a brother.
``We treated him real good. We did everything we possibly could. He didn't die alone. We really pumped his heart. I did mouth-to-mouth and gave him my breath, but it wasn't enough.
``If I had have been attacked, that's how I would like to be looked after. We're surfers, it could happen to any of us at any time.''
Another Gracetown local, who did not want to be named, said he saw thrashing in the water.
``There was so much white wash it must have been a very big shark. It was thrashing around and then I saw a guy swim for the rocks.''
He said local surfers did a fantastic job keeping the injured man alive for as long as they could.
Local rangers retrieved the man's surfboard, which had snapped cleanly in half.
American visitor Chance Smith, 25, who was surfing North Point on the other side of the bay, said a large pod of seals swam by moments before the attack.
He said the victim's injuries were ``horrific''.
Police have not released the man's identity.
His death is the first fatal shark attack in WA since December 2008 when Port Kennedy man Brian Guest, 51, was taken by a giant white pointer in about 5m of water while snorkelling for crabs with his son Daniel near their beachside home.
Recent WA Shark Attacks
October 1997: Former St Kilda footballer Brian Sierakowski and friend Barney Hanrahan escaped when a 5m white pointer attacked their double surf-ski 150m off Cottesloe.
October 2000: Greg Pickering, 47, a professional diver from Ocean Reef, was mauled by a 1.5m bronze whaler 9km off Cervantes.
November 2000: Businessman Ken Crew, 48, was killed by a 4m white pointer in waist-deep water at North Cottesloe.
February 2001: A 5m white pointer leapt out of the water off Albany and clamped its jaws around an outboard motor as Don and Margaret Stubbs watched in horror.
January 2004
Allan Oppert was attacked while diving for lobster 24km offshore in Binningup, north of Bunbury. He survived, despite being bitten 11 times below the knees.
June 2004
: Surfer Tom O'Brien, 17, was bitten on a foot by a bronze whaler off Bunbury's Back Beach.
July 2004:
Carpenter Brad Smith, 29, was attacked and killed by two sharks while surfing off Gracetown.
March 2005:
A 6m white pointer killed boat skipper Geoffrey Brazier, 26, while he snorkelled off the Abrolhos Islands.
September 2005
: Surfer Brad Satchell scared off a 1.3m shark by punching it on the nose as it lined up to attack him 150m off Scarborough.
January 2006
: Diver Bernie Williams was attacked by a 3.5m white pointer about 5km off City Beach. He received only minor wounds to his arms and said a mate's electronic shark deterrent saved his life.
December 2006
: 15-year-old Zac Golebiowski from South Australia loses a leg in a shark attack east of Esperance. He was attacked by a 4.5m white pointer.
May 2007
: Ellenbrook mother-of-five Becky Cooke had her foot torn to pieces by a reef shark near Coral Bay while holding her toddler in 30cm of water.
July 2007:
Scotch College College student Angus Chapman, 15, was attacked by a 1.5m bronze whaler in chest-deep water in the Cocos (Keeling) Islands.
November 2007
: A man survives a shark attack off the Kimberley coast.
December 2008
Port Kennedy fisherman Brian Guest, 51, taken by a giant white pointer while snorkelling for crabs in about 5m of water near his beachside home.