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Kaelah Marlow, 19, of Hamilton, was the young woman who died after a shark attack on Waihī Beach.
Police released his name on Friday and expressed their deepest condolences to his family and loved ones.
He was believed to be from Australia and moved with his family to New Zealand from Perth five years ago.
On Thursday night, it is known that Marlow got into trouble while swimming at the Bowentown end of Waihī Beach.
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Kaelah Marlow is the 19-year-old from Hamilton who was killed in a shark attack on Waihi Beach.
Amanda Gould, who was in the water just 15 feet from the shark attack victim, said Marlow was pulled out with a tear before the fatal attack.
Gould was swimming up to the waist with her husband and two boys, ages 8 and 10, when she saw the victim separate from her group of friends and go out into deep water.
“We were in the water at the same time as the girl and her friends … they were about five meters in front of us, but they kept moving farther and farther away,” Gould said.
“He got separated from all his friends and he wandered far away, past where the surfers sat.”
Gould was not comfortable in the water due to a severe rip and decided to return to shore.
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Amanda Gould is at Waihī Beach the morning after Thursday’s tragedy.
It was then that the horrors unfolded in front of her.
“You could tell he was struggling because there was no way he would get that far.
“No one saw her wave but I heard a scream.”
Then the lifeguards came to his aid.
Gould said it took him about five minutes to get the rescue boat to him due to the harsh conditions.
“It was really tough and every time they tried to push the boat out, it kept going in.”
RICKY WILSON / Stuff
A small group gathers on Waihī Beach after a fatal shark attack on Thursday.
It wasn’t until they pulled the victim out of the water and onto the shore that Gould realized what had happened.
“I thought there was someone else out there, but the lifeguard said ‘no, that’s a shark, we have to get people out of the water.’
“So I was watching the shark’s fin spin, not someone else.
“I didn’t see blood… it was alive and when they reached the shore. They started cardiopulmonary resuscitation right away. “
It was chaos, Gould said, people were panicking.
Christel Yardley / Stuff
Waihī Beach is a favorite spot for swimmers and surfers.
“It was shocking, surreal, and we were all a little scared… it keeps playing in my mind.
“I am very sad for the girl and I am sorry for the family. It’s so shocking that someone’s life can be taken away just by that event, one minute she’s swimming and the next she’s being pulled out and then that happened. It’s pretty scary. “
Stuff understands that the victim had bite wounds on at least one of his legs and that the shark involved was a white pointer (great white shark).
RICKY WILSON / Stuff
Lifeguards have been brought in from across the region to help after a fatal shark attack.
An autopsy, conducted on Friday, would provide police with a clearer understanding of what happened. However, the coroner would ultimately determine the cause of death.
The Goulds, who stay at Bowentown Beach Holiday Park, often travel from Tauranga and said Thursday’s tragedy would not end their love of the water.
“I would still swim and I won’t stop the kids from swimming either.
“I’ll just be careful with the conditions and I won’t go beyond my depth and the boys won’t go beyond chest height.”
* An earlier version of this story had a ransom deadline that could not be confirmed and has been removed.
