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The man killed by a shark off Cable Beach in Broome on Sunday was bodyboarding 30 to 40 meters from shore when he was attacked.
A nearby couple on the beach saw the water shake and ran to help, dragging the seriously injured man onto the sand and calling emergency services around 8.45am.
Kimberley District Office Police Inspector Gene Pears said the couple was very brave for going into the water to help the man.
Police unsuccessfully shot the shark in an effort to deal with the threat posed by the animal.
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Inspector Pears said the shark remained very close to shore for about half an hour after the incident.
The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development monitored the shark’s movement for some time after the fatal attack.
“It is a tragic incident, very unexpected, a person who goes out to have a little fun in the water,” he said.
“It is tragic for the family, friends and people of Broome.
“We live in Broome, it’s a close community, a close-knit community, like other places in the state, particularly remote. We’ve had a difficult year, with some incidents here. At the same time, that’s when communities like Broome shine. We’ll come together … and we will try to recover from a very sad day. “
He said there were crocodiles and Irukandji jellyfish in the water, but a shark attack was very unexpected. He said the water was very cloudy and the type of shark responsible for the attack had not been confirmed.
The fatal attack by a shark has been described by locals as a devastating tragedy that happened very quickly.
The man, a resident of Broome, was in the water north of the Cable Beach rocks when he was attacked. It is understood that he lost his hand and was bitten on the upper thigh.
Beach Hut equipment rental owner Daryl Roberson was on the beach on the last day of his trading season when he heard the wail of sirens as several police cars sped onto the beach in front of the Cable Beach Resort and about two miles north to shore.
He said an ambulance followed him shortly after, but he left without the sirens flashing and he later learned that it had been a fatal shark attack, with the shark still roaming the waters.
“It was just a devastating thing that happened,” he said. “It was very fast.
“It is a unique product [attack], I would think. I remember a pearl diver [more than] We got killed 20 years ago, and we’ve had a couple of stings here and there from a couple of reef sharks when people have gotten too close, but nothing like this. “
He said it was most likely a tiger shark, as they were common there, attracted when sea winds swept many small bait fish close to shore. He said a beehive of fishing activity had been witnessed in recent days.
“There have been many schools of fish very close to shore, the bait was everywhere, large schools of mackerel and tuna, and unfortunately, where there are big fish, the bigger ones follow.”
Francesca Rossi, who was on the beach at the time, said she heard the “very sad” news from a local ranger after seeing and hearing police cars invade the area as a helicopter flew overhead.
“A ranger told me what happened and that the beach was closed,” he said.
“I heard that he was a 55-year-old man, swimming alone and that he had been bitten on the thigh and lost his hand, but unfortunately he died. It is very sad.”
Prime Minister Mark McGowan called the attack a “very sad situation” and conveyed his condolences to the victim’s family.
“It is a traumatic and unexpected event, so I would like to convey all our thoughts to the people who love the man who passed away,” he said.
“For the people who were present, it was a very, very serious set of events. I thank all the people who tried to rescue the man in the surf.
“A very sad day for Broome, a very sad day for her family and there are certainly a lot of people grieving right now.”
The beach was not patrolled by surf lifeguards at the time, as its season ended in early November.
Shire rangers worked with the Department of Fisheries to close Broome’s beaches. North of the rocks, Cable Beach and Gantheuame Beach are closed.
Authorities urged people to stay out of the water and not travel to the beaches.
Surf Life Saving WA lifeguard coordinator Nick Pavy said Shire of Broome contracted lifeguard services ended at Cable Beach on November 8 and Broome SLSC lifeguard services in early October.
“SLSWA is very aware of the effect these types of incidents have on the WA community,” he said.
“Particularly those in regional areas where there is a close community network and the area depends on tourism typically linked to the coast.
“We remind people to choose a patrolled beach where they can and swim between the red and yellow flags under the watchful eye of our lifeguards and lifeguards, to swim with a friend and always watch the children around the water.”
It’s been just six weeks since the last fatal shark attack off the coast of WA, after surfer Andrew Sharpe disappeared off a popular breakwater in Esperance on the state’s southern coast on October 9.
Authorities believe Sharpe was abducted by a shark after widespread reports of a sighting at the Kelp Beds on Wylie Beach in Esperance.
Despite a three-day search, her body was never found. They later recovered his surfboard and parts of his wetsuit.
