WA shark attack victim dies in hospital

Stu Nettle picture
Stu Nettle (stunet)
Swellnet Dispatch

7466422-3x2-940x627.jpgThe West Australian man who was attacked by a shark on Tuesday has died in hospital.

Ben Gerring was attacked while surfing Gearies Beach, south of Mandurah. The 29-year-old lost a leg in the attck and was taken to Peel Health Campus at Mandurah. On Wednesday he was transferred to Royal Perth Hospital.

The shark that attacked Gerring was identified as a great white shark. On Wednesday a great white shark died after being hooked on a drum line and was towed out to sea where it was disposed of.

Gerring is the ninth shark fatality in WA since 2005.

Swellnet sends it's condolences to the family of Ben Gerring and the wider Mandurah surfing community.

Comments

boxright's picture
boxright's picture
boxright Saturday, 4 Jun 2016 at 8:40am

RIP Ben. He only recently found out his wife was pregnant. That's really really f*cked up. I hope everyone in his family got to see him in the last days.
If a crowd fund account happens please let us all know.

zenagain's picture
zenagain's picture
zenagain Saturday, 4 Jun 2016 at 10:00am

Sad news.

Condolences to his fiancee and to the family.

RIP mate.

theween's picture
theween's picture
theween Saturday, 4 Jun 2016 at 10:15am

R.I.P. Ben. Condolences to family and friends. Has anyone heard how Brett from Kiama is doing?

thedrip's picture
thedrip's picture
thedrip Saturday, 4 Jun 2016 at 12:44pm

There is a crowd funding set up a few days ago.

https://www.gofundme.com/27ftd94z

ifwehavetofallwe'llfalltogether's picture
ifwehavetofallwe'llfalltogether's picture
ifwehavetofallw... Saturday, 4 Jun 2016 at 4:21pm

R.I.P. Ben. It's a sunny day at Gearies today and the waves are rolling in. The Mandurah surfing community mourns your loss. Love and support to your family and friends. Fellow Mandurah surfer.

freeride76's picture
freeride76's picture
freeride76 Saturday, 4 Jun 2016 at 4:44pm

Terrible ending to this latest attack. Every surfer in Australia would be feeling heavy hearted today and putting out best wishes to this poor blokes fiancé and family.

eastcoastbuoy's picture
eastcoastbuoy's picture
eastcoastbuoy Saturday, 4 Jun 2016 at 10:57pm

Shocking news for everyone and especially the family and partner and their bubs. all surfers fear the very unlikely chance of this happening and when it does we all take a deep breath and think about Ben, his family and all the surfing brother/sisterhood. look out for each other and appreciate each day.

mibs-oner's picture
mibs-oner's picture
mibs-oner Sunday, 5 Jun 2016 at 12:32am

This is fkn horrible. Poor fellow and much love to his family

blindboy's picture
blindboy's picture
blindboy Sunday, 5 Jun 2016 at 2:52pm

Another fatal shark attack in WA this afternoon. No details as yet.

Blowin's picture
Blowin's picture
Blowin Sunday, 5 Jun 2016 at 2:58pm

Where did you hear this BB ?

Blowin's picture
Blowin's picture
Blowin Sunday, 5 Jun 2016 at 3:24pm

Crazy.

simba's picture
simba's picture
simba Sunday, 5 Jun 2016 at 5:31pm

Better get used to this happening cause the more whites breed up the more this is going to happen.....

Rabbits68's picture
Rabbits68's picture
Rabbits68 Sunday, 5 Jun 2016 at 6:08pm
simba wrote:

Better get used to this happening cause the more whites breed up the more this is going to happen.....

The more they are "trained/teased" by cage diving this is going to continue IMO. They have been in healthy stock numbers previously without much problem. 14 fatalities in WA since 2000. Perspective says the odds are still pretty good that you'll enjoy your surf & live to tell the tale. Certainly adds a freaky vibe though, no doubt about it.

simba's picture
simba's picture
simba Sunday, 5 Jun 2016 at 6:23pm

Totally agree Rabs with you but at the end of the day its a simple case of maths ....something similar to the whale repopulation........whites were supposedly on the brink of extinction 16 years ago and boy have they made a remarkable recovery ...you see there hasnt been a white population for a long time probably pre second world war when there were very few surfers around.......its only common sense...maths.

Rabbits68's picture
Rabbits68's picture
Rabbits68 Sunday, 5 Jun 2016 at 6:33pm

Interesting Simba. I recall several people (in past SN shark discussions) debunking the "there's more people in the water nowadays" theory hence greater interaction. It's gotta be at least one part of the puzzle I would of thought, amongst many others unfortunately.

Seedy jay's picture
Seedy jay's picture
Seedy jay Sunday, 5 Jun 2016 at 7:31pm

Its all getting a bit to much, why are there very large pointers very close to shore, yes cage diving shoulda been banned a long time ago, let alone the swimming with tuna, and pulling pens up and down the coast, but at the end of the day money talks.

OHBILLY's picture
OHBILLY's picture
OHBILLY Thursday, 9 Jun 2016 at 12:22am

.

Rawprawn's picture
Rawprawn's picture
Rawprawn Sunday, 5 Jun 2016 at 8:13pm

From all reports it has been a super productive Australian salmon run this season. Lots more salmon since they greatly limited the commercial catch quota.

caml's picture
caml's picture
caml Monday, 6 Jun 2016 at 10:51am

The safe times over and its back to the shark plague times around wa unfortunately

sharkman's picture
sharkman's picture
sharkman Monday, 6 Jun 2016 at 12:43pm

gee caml what do you base your "plague times," of sharks returning ??

caml's picture
caml's picture
caml Monday, 6 Jun 2016 at 1:38pm

They come and go around wa , usually when the waters warmer and thats in sa too , can't explain where ive referenced the info . Anyway I apologize for the comment , hadn't thought deeply about this when I wrote it s.man

prothero's picture
prothero's picture
prothero Monday, 6 Jun 2016 at 2:04pm

Good on you for being straight up caml. Although plagues of sharks is a negative that feeds the mass hysteria that is cultivated in the press in this sad week. I read once that the whites like the cold waters not the warm. The interesting thing was in 2011 when the last spate of killings occurred we had very warm ocean temps here in the SW, one theory was that the sharks were trapped in closer to shore by this band of warm water. Sounds like the last attack was by a big one, no shark deterrent is gonna stop one of those . Thoughts go out to friends and families who have to deal with this, take care.

caml's picture
caml's picture
caml Monday, 6 Jun 2016 at 3:46pm

Yep ok it was when in warmer temps than they prefer , that attacks spiked

caml's picture
caml's picture
caml Monday, 6 Jun 2016 at 3:48pm

Large numbers are being reported by shark cage dive boat at pt lincoln the last week . And the waters warm too

caml's picture
caml's picture
caml Monday, 6 Jun 2016 at 3:56pm

Rip to brett gerring and the lady off perth

mick-free's picture
mick-free's picture
mick-free Monday, 6 Jun 2016 at 5:33pm

I can't imagine what he and his wife went through before he died and knowing he had a baby on the way. So unfair. Good to see almost 50k in the fund for his wife. Heard someone write that he put up one hell of a fight. RIP Ben.

I know it can be anywhere but I think I'm done for WA surf.