GEORGIA LONEY, The West Australian
The 21-year-old bodyboarder killed by a shark near Dunsborough yesterday was dead before fellow surfers could drag him ashore.
Police say the man was surfing at Bunker Bay with a mate when he was attacked just after 1pm, about 1km from the Bunkers Beach Cafe.
Dunsborough Sgt Craig Anderson said the Wilyabrup man was among a group of about five men surfing in an area known as The Boneyards.
"Out of nowhere it would appear that the young fellow has been taken by a shark," he said. "No one saw the shark itself but they've observed the young fellow's body in the water in amongst some blood.
"His mate and someone else that was surfing with him have pulled the body ashore, emergency services have been notified, but unfortunately the nature of the injuries mean the young fellow was deceased before he was pulled from the water."
Sgt Anderson described the young man who pulled his fatally injured friend ashore as heroic.
"You have to take your hat off to the young fellow who was surfing with him and his mate for bringing him ashore, the nature of his injuries were significant," he said.
Sgt Anderson said local residents had described yesterday's weather as "perfect shark conditions".
"It was dark and gloomy water, overcast skies, light rain falling, there was whale action in the bay and some seals about," he said.
He said the dead man was from the Eastern States and had been working in various jobs in WA for the past three or four years.
Despite a search, the shark had not been seen and the beach would stay closed.
He said a vessel would sweep the area today.
Onlookers said they believed the shark was a 4.5m great white.
Bunkers Beach Cafe manager Hamish McLeay said the cafe was full when the attack happened.
"We had a restaurant full of people, a beach full of people, great surf, beautiful day, typical South West day, then the word got out that someone had been taken by a shark, it's one of our favourite spots down the beach," he said.
"Everyone is saying you have more risk of being hit by a car or stung by a bee, it's one of those things . . . it's very unusual." It is the second fatal shark attack in the South West in the past year.
Last August, Busselton man Nick Edwards, 31, was taken by a shark while he surfing at Gracetown.
Shark expert Hugh Edwards said the Cape Naturaliste to Cape Leeuwin area was a "travel route" for sharks, particularly great whites.
"The risk of being attacked while in the water is very low but there's no doubt that there are far more people in the water in these areas than there were 10, 20 years ago so we are seeing more attacks," Mr Edwards said.
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