A 46-year old surfer was killed in a white shark attack off a beach unconfirmed as shark-netted, in Queensland, Australia.
Nick Slater was surfing inside Rainbow Bay, Coolangatta, Sept. 8. around 5 p.m. He was by himself, hitting the onshore swell between Little Marley and Greenmount.
A witness reported seeing birds diving and fish activity near the surfer when someone spotted his board fly into the air. Several surfers who were farther out at Snapper Rocks, began paddling toward the injured man.
Witnesses onshore began warning other surfers to leave the water.
Jade Parker saw the people pointing and saw Slater floating beside his board.
“I ran down to the beach, dropped my board [and] sort of trudged through the line-up to get to him,” he told reporters. “There was probably about three other people in the water trying to pull him in by then.”
Parker met the group in waist-deep water and noted that there was no blood. Once back on the beach, the Good Samaritans placed Slater onto a lifeguard’s stretcher.
“He was pretty much already gone by then,” Parker said. “From the groin to his knee was just . . . there was nothing there.”
The beach is one of several along the coast that feature shark control measures. Some of the measures include a combination of drum lines and shark nets that are used to capture large sharks. Unfortunately, the devices often capture nontarget species such as dolphins, whales and other endangered sea creatures.
While the devices do capture and often kill sharks, they are not foolproof. The Department of Agriculture and Fisheries has warned that the devices do not prevent sharks from entering protected areas.
Third Fatal Shark Attack in Queensland
This is the third fatal shark attack in Queensland and sixth in the county this year.
Matthew Tratt, 36, was spearfishing off Fraser Island July 4, when he was bitten by a white shark. His brother pulled him onto the shore of Indian Head, but Tratt died.
Zach Robba,23, was swimming with friends off the remote North West Island April 6. A park ranger was the last person to exit the water when he was attacked by a shark. Robba was seriously injured and lost his legs and hands during the attack. He was picked up by a rescue helicopter, but later died.
Shark bite in Hawaii
Carla Christensen, 7o, was bitten by a shark Sept. 6. She had been snorkeling near Puako Beach Drive, Puako on Hawaii Island.
Around 4:30 p.m. she was headed back to shore when an estimated 8-foot shark approached. Christensen tried to kick the shark away, but it bit her left ankle.
She was able to exit the water and was taken to the North Hawaii Community Hospital for treatment.
All locations have been marked on the 2020 Shark Attack Map.
