The shark attack in Gracetown this morning, which resulted in the death of 31-year-old surfer Nicholas Edwards, occurred so quickly that it went unnoticed by any witnesses, according to police reports. “No one observed a fin, a shark, or any splashing. He was sitting on his board, and then it was adrift while he was in the water,” explained Sergeant Craig Anderson today. However, earlier accounts from witnesses suggested that the sheer size of the shark indicated it was undoubtedly a white pointer.
Originally from the Eastern States but residing in Busselton, Mr. Edwards was married and had two young children, ages seven and two. Sgt. Anderson noted that the man was found face down and unresponsive when pulled from the water. For safety reasons, the beach has been closed for a 15km radius until tomorrow. Local sea rescue teams, along with vessels from the Fisheries Department, patrolled the area but had to halt the search due to inclement weather. A Fisheries Department vessel departing from Busselton was forced to turn back upon nearing Cape Naturaliste this afternoon. Fisheries regional manager Tony Cappelluti mentioned that if the weather improved, the search vessel might head to the bay where the tragedy took place tomorrow. Nevertheless, he surmised that the shark had likely already departed from South Point. “Sharks are highly mobile; it could very well be some kilometers away already,” he stated. Mr. Cappelluti also noted that although they had the authority to eliminate a protected shark species, such as the Great White, they would only consider that if an immediate threat to human safety was present. Fisheries scientist Brett Malony remarked that the attack seemed random. “There’s no definitive understanding as to why a specific shark would choose to attack or not at a given moment,” he commented. He added that Great White sharks lack specific migration or attack patterns, and a variety of shark species inhabit the area. Images from the scene show fellow surfers and onlookers who made extraordinary efforts to save the man’s life, according to Sgt. Anderson. Gracetown surfer Rob Alder alerted others after spotting the surfer at South Point this morning, only to later observe through his binoculars that the board had been torn in half. “I was watching through binoculars from my porch, determining whether I should surf at North Point or South Point. When I donned my wetsuit, I made a final check, only to see that there was no surfer with the board I had noticed earlier. The board indeed appeared to be broken in half. I thought perhaps he had encountered a large wave, so I called the shop and hurried down to the waterfront as quickly as I could,” Rob recounted. Upon arrival, he discovered that his friend Craig had already paddled out to retrieve the injured surfer from the rocks. Rob and Craig then worked together to bring the injured surfer out of the surf and began resuscitation efforts, but he had no pulse.
“He’d lost significant blood; the injuries were on his right leg, which sustained severe wounds. It looked like a wide bite at the top of his thigh.”
The men improvised a tourniquet using a leg rope from their surfboard in a desperate attempt to halt the bleeding.
Sgt. Anderson stated that St John Ambulance paramedics worked tirelessly to keep the man alive during transport to Margaret River Hospital, but he was pronounced dead upon arrival.
He revealed that the victim was a miner employed in Leinster, planning to return to work the following day.
“He was attempting to enjoy one last surf before heading back to work,” he said.
The injuries he sustained were quite severe, causing extensive damage to his right leg, upper thigh, and lower calf.
The incident occurred approximately 300 meters off South Point.
“The young couple who arrived first on the scene were commendable, as they waded into the water and…”Pulling him into the shore and performing resuscitation until assistance arrived from other surfers at the top carpark,” Sgt Anderson stated.
“St. Johns performed full CPR all the way to Margaret River Hospital. The dedication of those individuals, along with St. Johns and those who helped carry him up the cliff face, was truly commendable in their efforts to save his life today.”
“The emergency services’ response and the local community’s support were nearly immediate, yet his injuries were grave.”
“Based on the severity of the injuries, I would have assumed he had passed away within minutes.”
Sgt Anderson mentioned that while there had been no recent shark sightings, there was significant seal activity present in the area.
“It was a beautiful morning out there; it’s clear why he wanted to catch one last surf before heading back,” Sgt Anderson commented.
“The community has been visibly affected this morning; they appear shocked. The individuals involved in the rescue are reaching out to each other for support. They are a wonderful community, deeply connected. Given the tragedies they have faced in the past, I believe they will come together.”
He indicated that the police chaplain was offering support to the family.
Eddie Kilgallon, a fellow surfer, was in the water shortly after the incident.
“I was surfing at Huzzawuiee, which is the middle break here. I heard what sounded like whistling, and when I looked over towards the point, I saw a man stranded on the rocks.”
“Then I noticed someone sprinting along the cliff yelling ‘shark, shark.'”
A local woman, who had a husband that witnessed the attack, expressed the rapid spread of dread throughout the community.
“We’re all quite shaken up; my husband was present when Brad (Brad Smith, killed by a shark in 2004) was taken, so this is just horrific,” she shared. “You don’t anticipate this, especially not twice, in such a small community.”
“The injuries were catastrophic; they tried to save him, but he kept crashing.”
“From the size and nature of the injuries, they believe it was a white pointer,” she added.
Her husband stated he was still extremely disturbed.
“I was in the carpark observing the surf when I noticed a lot of whitewater in an area where no wave was breaking; the backwash was everywhere. He couldn’t have seen it coming,” he said.
“I caught sight of a piece of his board floating on the wave and another man rushing down to the shore, prompting me to call for an ambulance.”
“It has deeply impacted me; witnessing a shark attack and its aftermath makes you never want to experience that again.”
The Department of Fisheries announced they would determine if the shark still poses a threat.
Phil Shaw, WA regional manager, indicated that lethal measures against the shark would be a “last resort.”
“If it continues to pose a risk, and if it’s assessed that it is likely to linger and become a threat, then that would be the course of action taken,” he explained.
Rachel Adams, manager of the Bay Store and a resident of Gracetown, commented on the ongoing shock and confusion in the area.
“It’s a young man; that’s what they can confirm for now, both his legs have been bitten,” she noted. “The atmosphere here is very somber; such events are unexpected.”
Ms. Adams recounted how a local man, watching surfers through a telescope on his balcony, raised the alarm.
“He was observing them surf when the man disappeared below the surface, with only the board resurfacing,” she stated.
Surfers present during the incident have not been deterred from surfing the following day. One indicated that surfing is part of their lifestyle, although he mentioned they would be going out together, feeling safer in numbers.
“This is an awful tragedy, and the impact on his family is just heartbreaking.”
Earlier this June, a surfer managed to survive a shark attack off the state’s south coast, successfully fending off two charges from the predator at Conspicuous Cliff beach near Walpole.
In recent years, several fatal shark attacks have occurred in WA: Brian Guest at Port Kennedy in 2008, deckhand Geoffrey Brazier off the Abrolhos in March 2005, surfer Brad Smith off Gracetown in July 2004, and swimmer Ken Crew off Cottesloe in November 2000. All were reported to have involved Great Whites.
