In this image taken from video, police officers stand around the covered body of a man killed in a shark attack on Clarkes Beach of Byron Bay on Australia’s east coast
A man was killed in a shark attack yesterday at the popular tourist destination of Byron Bay on Australia’s east coast despite a beachgoer’s brave rescue attempt, police said.
The beachgoer, Mark Hickey, swam 15-20 meters from the shore of Clarkes Beach to retrieve the man, who had sustained severe wounds to his right leg, Police Inspector Bobbie Cullen said.
The victim, a local man in his 50s whose name has not been released, received medical treatment on the beach but did not survive, Cullen said.
“A gentleman who was on the beach went out and located the gentleman and pulled him in,” Cullen told reporters. “Absolutely it is (an extraordinary act of bravery) and we can only thank him for his efforts.”
Hickey, a lawyer on vacation at Byron Bay, told Ten Network television news that he saw the shark and its bloodied victim and swam out to try to attempt a rescue as the shark attacked again.
“I went out there and, I don’t know, I just thought I’ve got to get this guy in and that’s what I tried to do,” Hickey said.
He said he dragged the victim onto the beach and attempted to resuscitate him for 20 minutes, but the man had apparently bled to death in the water. Ten reported that the shark had bitten through the victim’s wetsuit on his upper right thigh, tearing off much of his leg.
The leg wounds were being examined to identify the size and species of the shark.
Cullen said the crew of a rescue helicopter spotted what appeared to be a great white shark in the area after the suspected attack, but had lost sight of it. She said all Byron Bay beaches would be closed for 24 hours due to the potential danger.
The death is the first fatal attack in Australia since April 3, when a 63-year-old woman was taken by a 3-to-4-meter shark near the village of Tathra, 340 kilometers south of Sydney. AP
No Comments