Great white shark kills surfer in Australia

Surf rescue group say man died from bite wound to his thigh

A jet ski passes over a shark swimming along the coast of Kingscliff, New South Wales, Australia, on 7 June, 2020, (ABC/CH7/CH9/AP)

A 60-year-old man has died after being attacked by a great white shark off the New South Wales (NSW) coast, officials said.

The victim, who lived in Tugun in the neighbouring state of Queensland, was thought to be surfing at the time of the attack on Sunday morning local time.

Surf Life Saving NSW, a surf rescue group, said the man received a bite wound on his thigh from a three-metre-long shark before other surfers fought it off and brought him to shore.

He was pronounced dead on Salt Beach, Kingscliff, by paramedics.

New South Wales ambulance inspector, Terence Savage, described the incident as “dreadful” for all those involved.

Mr Savage said: “When you get a call to attend a shark attack, you never really know the full extent of the damage until you get on scene.”

“They did everything they could to try and save his life, but despite their best efforts, were unable to do so,” he added.

Beaches in the area were cleared and have now been closed for a 24-hour period.

The state’s Department of Primary Industries said: “A shark biologist assessed photographs and confirmed a white shark was responsible for the fatal attack.”

Stuart Gonsal, a Kingscliff resident, found out about the shark attack once he had arrived at the beach for a surf.

Mr Gonsal told ABC radio: “We found out there was a fatal shark attack on the south side of the rock wall. We were going to get in, we’re not going to now for sure.”

This was the third fatal shark in attack in Australia this year, following the death of a diver off Western Australia in January and a wildlife worker on the Great Barrier Reef in April.

Additional reporting from AP