Authorities Believe Missing Surfer Dead After Australia Shark Attack

A surfer went missing on Thursday after a gruesome shark attack. He remains missing, though authorities believe he is now deceased.

Surfer in the ocean / Unsplash

A 28-year-old surfer was riding the waves at Granites Beach in South Australia when he experienced a surfer's nightmare. The surfer was attacked by a shark and has not been seen since roughly 7:00 p.m. on Thursday.

Following the incident, a nearby witness sped into the water on a jet ski and located the man's surfboard. However, he was nowhere to be found.

"But there was just no sign of this young man, there's just been no sign of him," Senior Constable Rebecca Stokes told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). "From witnesses' descriptions, we're pretty confident that he's been killed by this shark."

Authorities continue to search the waters with drones for any sign of the individual. Due to the lack of forward progress in the investigation, authorities believe he is deceased.

According to AP News, on the state's coast in 2023, there were five recorded shark attacks, three of which resulted in death. One of those fatalities occurred on Granites Beach, where the 28-year-old went missing on Thursday.

Surfer Magazine relayed the tragedy of a 46-year-old teacher who was killed in a shark attack in May 2023 while surfing at Walkers Beach. Similar to the recent incident, only the teacher's surfboard was found.

In addition to the teacher, a 15-year-old boy, Khai Cowley, was fatally attacked by a shark that same year at Ethel Beach.

"Khai was very involved in our surfing community with his passion for surfing stemming from a family with deep surfing roots in SA. He was a happy, kind and respectful kid, very much loves by his surfing peers and he will be greatly missed out in our community and on the water," Surfing South Australia wrote on their website in honor of Khai.

The shark attacks in South Australia have been referred to as "clusters," which is what took place in the 2023 attacks.

"There seems to be these clusters of bites that do occur, which is what has occurred in South Australia," Brianne Le Busque, South Australian environment and wildlife lecturer, told SBS News.

Daryl McPhee, environmental scientist from Bond University, stated that clusters arrive "when sharks take up temporary residence in an area." However, he explained that there is "little evidence" showing that the attacks involved the same sharks.

With South Australia having a notable history of shark attacks, and a recent fatality, it's important for local surfers to be aware of the risks and stay updated on conditions and reports.