A surfer has been mauled to death by a giant 4.2 meter shark on a remote beach.
The 55-year-old man was attacked by a large white male near Granite Rock south of Streaky Bay, South Australia, about 10.20am on Tuesday.
Emergency services have launched a large-scale search for the man’s body, which has not yet been found.
Surfer Jeff Schmucker, who was at the scene, raced on a jet ski to find the man, but was surrounded by what he believed was the deadly shark.
“It attacked him from the side. He went underwater once, came back up and went underwater again, and that was the last the boy saw of him,” he told 7News.
A surfer was mauled to death by a giant 4.2m shark on a remote beach, witnesses have revealed
He found the remains of the 55-year-old’s surfboard with a large bite wound and filmed a shark he believes was the one that attacked the man.
The man struggled but was no match for the enormous shark, according to another witness.
Eyre and Western Police responded immediately and launched a search operation with the assistance of Police Water Operations, PolAir, State Emergency Service and local volunteers following reports of the attack.
Granite Rock is a known breeding ground for Great White and the attack took place in front of several beachgoers.
The Adelaide Advertiser reports that a witness described the scene as ‘pandemonium’.
“It happened right near the surf spot,” she said.
The attack comes just weeks after Pamela Cook was bitten by a shark near Beachport in the state’s southeast.
Eyre and Western Police launched a search operation with the assistance of Police Water Operations, PolAir, State Emergency Service and local volunteers following reports of the attack
Ms Cook was bitten on the leg and suffered serious injuries during the early morning attack.
She was attacked just before 8am while swimming with local community group Beachport Sea Urchins and Slugs near the town’s jetty.
It also follows the death in May of teacher Simon Baccanello, who was believed to have been killed by a shark while surfing at Walkers Rock near Ellison on the west coast of South Australia.
A witness claims he saw a shark dragging Mr. Baccanello underwater.