Shark Attack Near Streaky Bay
Emergency services are responding to reports of a serious shark attack on South Australia's far west coast.
Police say it is believed one person has been seriously injured.
They have received reports the attack occurred near Granites, off Westall Way Loop, near Streaky Bay on the western side of Eyre Peninsula, about 10:20am.
It is understood that emergency services are currently making their way to the scene.
"Initial information from the scene reported one person has been seriously injured," police have said.
Streaky Bay is about 300 kilometres north-west of Port Lincoln, and more than 700 kilometres from Adelaide.
Few other details about the incident are available, but it follows two other serious attacks in South Australian waters this year.
Earlier this month, a woman suffered leg injuries when she was attacked by a shark while taking part in an early morning group swim at Beachport in the state's south-east.
That incident came months after a fatal incident near Elliston on the west coast of Eyre Peninsula, in which a local teacher was attacked by a shark an estimated 30 to 50 metres offshore.
More to come...
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Comments
fark all the best to the person
Was told of a classic story of a brush with a Big F Off white recently while I was over there. Eyed off the crew as it cruised through the line up.
Wishing whomever received the bite all the best.
According to beach grit the poor bugger is dead. RIP
Yeah doesn't sound good at all from the reports I'm getting. Very sad, RIP mate.
Yeah it's not a "get well soon type situation".
the media reports are misleading to think it wasn't fatal
Thats probably because the family haven't been contacted yet
Is that you paddle pop lion old mate!?
I wondered that
Sounds heavy.
Thoughts to all involved.
Take care over there @clam.
Yes sadly it's really close to home thanks mate , I love surfing that spot.
won't be surfing early in the morning tomorrow.
Tragic news. RIP. Thoughts go out to the poor fella’s friends and family
heavy news, RIP
Terrible news- RIP and deepest sympathies to family and friends.
Another in our surfing community taken. Sad news. RIP
RIP poor bugger geez over there you don't get a injury from a shark, you get eaten whole.
Only surfed around that area a couple of times... always thinking about the men in grey suits, it just looks sharky. RIP mate, very sad for family and friends.
Poor guy, that's a sh*tty way to go.
Call me soft, but I just can't see myself surfing on the west coast of SA.
When you think about the average number of surfers in the water along the coastline between Cactus and Port Lincoln and then the number of fatal attacks, the risk factor has to be massive compared to the surfer number vs attack ratio of other coastlines.
True, but it's certainly got alot busier the last 15 years over here. You still get times when your looking for a crowd to surf with for that very reason. Having said that, there was 8 out at Granites from what I've heard so relatively low numbers for that spot.
Heavy. RIP and condolences to family and friends, witnesses.
One report says he was a 55-year-old bloke, who was sitting slightly wider than the crew of about half a dozen.
Ch7 Adelaide (you tube) has Jeff Schmmuker on jetski moments after attack getting circled by the big bastard. 55 year old sitting slightly wider and got picked off. Condolences to family and friends. RIP.
Great but spooky memories of surfing this spot 15 years back - very sad news - condolences to the family and community
That footage is amazing- kudos to the filmer & ski team coming eye to eye with that fknthing gloating....
Remorseless cheeky bastard. Where's a powerhead when you need one?
media calling it "Granite Rock" !
Is "Granites" not good enough?
Yes tubeshooter a 357 magnum hollowhead ......probably the same shark that took that other fella .
Had J.S. had Popped that thing i would gladly contribute $ towards his Fine.
im surprised Jeff S dosent carry a bang stick on his ski.....i would
They wouldn't allow him to catch it, he wanted to I've heard
Jeff S offering to solve the problem on his insta page (no choppers needed), sorry dont know how to share.
So heavy. Condolences to the friends and family.
Terrible news. Deepest condolences to family, friends and his community.
tragic , thoughts go out to the family and crew in the water ,
They need to reinstate a fishing quota for great whites. Having them protected in an ocean of diminishing resources is a recipe for disaster. I remember a mate telling me that in his area in the 90's there were 6 pro fishing boats that could take 6 pointers a year. Those 36 fish were generally ones lurking around and just kept a lid on the numbers. Sure it's getting more crowded over there but there's been people in the water at all those spots every offshore swell since the 80's. Surfers have the right to protection too.
Concur 100%
100% need a lottery system with a certain amount of tags given per year to manage population.
brutal coastline... on a side note my tactic of sitting wide is now being reviewed
OB.... i surf in Northern California which has a similar problem. I never sit wide, ever. Even when i want to. The risk/reward assessment for me is a slam dunk. Sucks if i wanna get away from the pack, but even then, i stick with em.
Terrible news, the locals there are a tight knit group, best group of surfers I encountered on my round oz trip, so friendly, calling me into waves, hooting me, and they knew I was an east coaster. Such a gentle wave, is definitely a sharky area, seal colony 15 mins away that I dived with, guide there showed me around the traps, real rugged coastline, real people, all the best to his family
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-11-01/search-continues-for-surfer-after...
Sounds like another horrendous case where the guy has been partially or fully eaten and they are unlikely to recover a body.
R.I.P old mate.
We all know the risks down here in this state. Doesn't make it any less gut wrencing when it happens tho. Bit there will be no nets, no killing innocent wildlife in retaliation.
Surfing is a dangerous pastime. More surfers are injured or die via wayward boards via no leg rope, or not wearing a helmet. Yet we're comfortable not legislating.
That's about it @Sheepdog - our local survivor, Pam Cook, was down the Beachport Jetty this morning with her hubby, smiling and waving to local swimmers/well-wishers. Just a moon-boot, and in good-spirits, MAN she is lucky that juvenile didn't head-shake while it had her leg. Sending thoughts from here to those out west, rip.
Tragic.
Seems like a confident shark, comfortable to approach a pack of surfers and pick one off. Not a mistake and not the type you want anywhere near you.
I must admit I didn’t get the nice hello’s when I surfed there , paddling through the pack was more scary than the thoughts of sharks.
Probably because you were 'paddling through the pack' instead of getting in line! Greed will get you nowhere among real surfers, show respect to earn respect.
.
Condolences to the family of the surfer taken. I've surfed the SA West Coast many times and know the risks as do any surfer that surfs there. It's a rugged beautiful coastline with some amazing challenging waves.
Thats very sad news. I surfed that spot years ago - great wave but the risk is always there.
Rip, devastating! Has got me wondering why these attacks always seem to happen in clusters? From margs/ Gracetown area, Ballina, kingy/ casuarina/ Greenmount, west coast sa when jevan and guy from nz on his honeymoon at cactus got taken, now this on the west coast 2 in a few months.
Any theory's? Same shark? Weather events such as la Nina or el nino? Or just coincidence? Got me stuffed
Not sure about East coast but for west coast SA i reckon it's due to whale migration. Those SA attacks you mentioned above were all at same time of year
Whale migration happens every year, but these attack clusters seem to happen over a short period and then nothing for years. Until the next cluster. I don't know.
All those 4 attacks did coincide with the whale migration tho (Sept/Oct)- perhaps just luck the other years nothing has happened? Agree tho it does seem to happen in clusters around here.
It sounds like a cliche from one of the Jaws sequels about a shark getting a taste for human blood or skaking their claim to a territory, but you've got to wonder if a shark that eats a human then sees it as an easy prey option in the future and hangs around that area for a while looking for another easy feed.
Pure speculation, but not impossible.
We are an Easy Feed they have to Chase other Prey / Seal .
Without a doubt we are, but the question I'm proposing is whether a particular shark remembers or recognises this easy prey option after an attack and then repeats the behaviour over a period of time in the same area and is the reason for clusters of attacks.
The 'rouge shark' theory is often quickly shot down by experts in response to proposed targeted culling of large sharks in an area after an attack, but its not totally impossible that one shark then goes on to attack other humans after that first easy feed.
Again, pure speculation but not as far fetched as what some 'experts' seem to suggest.
I've always wondered about the cluster of attacks they had in WA between 2010 and 2014. The last one of that cluster in 2014 was the young spearfisherman who's mate shot the shark in the mouth. You've got to think that shark would have eventually died, and the frequency of attacks seemed to slow down. Maybe just a coincidence but anyway!!
I'm curious about the attacks in Egypt. That poor Russian young man who got eaten in front of his dad, and then they immediately caught and killed the culprit. Will the attacks cease there? And, if so, is that causation or correlation?
Im with you on this Smorto.......just like an old lion or such, ....gets the taste.....easy pickings.
Tend to agree as well Smorto, animals learn and repeat behaviour that they know works.
* correction - the Elliston attack was in May - just doesn't seem that long ago. Latest (unconfirmed) report is that the guy at streaky had just moved to the area. Same like the teacher from Elliston. Might be why sitting wide....who knows - but having surfed that coast a fair bit always felt like it was a luck of the draw thing. I've seen 2 sharks in the water and nothing happened - yet 3 of the 4 attacks were on blokes who hadn't been surfing here that long. That's gotta be bad luck doesn't it? Or their time was up?
I'd be interested to see the stats, but I reckon spring has been the most prevalent time for shark attacks in S.A., and whale migration may be a factor. The mother's are returning to the Antarctic with their calves and the pointers would be on the look out for sick or dying ones. If after a while they don't get what they're looking for the sharks start cruising looking for something else to eat. Not originally my theory, but when I heard it it made sense.
There's obviously going to be some kind of environmental factor related to habitat, seasons, behaviour etc, but being really unlucky seems to play a huge role. I know half a dozen abalone divers/surfers who in their 50s who have never seen a shark in their life despite decades in and on the water every single day, while some complete newbie can jump in the water and be bumped by a shark five minutes later. I always follow Greenough's advice and be turned in facing the sun, and think I am prepared to move towards a shark if one ever showed up, but ultimately know if the luck of the draw is against me there is only so much you can do.
Never heard Greenough’s advice before.
What’s the theory behind facing the sun? To blind the shark if it comes at you?
I think he said they use the glare as a stalking tactic so the prey doesn’t see them but you face that way and they think you’ve seen them?
*Udo posted it below.
Interesting idea. Wouldn't it only apply to prey on or above the water?
This is a Good Read
https://www.surfersjournal.com/editorial/the-archivist-george-greenoughs...
https://www.iflscience.com/great-white-sharks-exploit-angle-sun-while-hu...
Udo, there is a vid on YouTube of a guy in a kayak fighting off repeated attempts by a hammerhead with his paddle. The thing keeps coming at him, pretty much all the way in to shore. (it seemed like a territorial thing) I look at it from time to time to see if there is anything to that theory. It does seem like it uses the sun to it's advantage on the majority of it's approaches, but not all.
Have you seen it?
Is there any correlation between jet skis operating in a surf zone and attracting sharks?
No there's not its a sharky coastline it just unfortunate don't take this post the wrong way I feel for the family and every one involved
Look at the 1 positive a guy died doing something he loved and that's not dying in a nursing home or from some other fucked up disease our world has now.
, .
If J.S had of taken that shark out when he saw it on the ski, I reckon it would make for an interesting court case.
The maximum penalty is $100 000 or 2 years behind bars.
I wonder if a magistrate/judge or jury might be a bit more sympathetic to that particular situation rather than say someone who got caught killing one for fun or for black market money.
For comparison, a bloke was fined $18103 after
"witnesses told fisheries officers he used his boat to herd the shark into shallow water in Sussex Inlet, south of Sydney, in January 2012.
Wollongong Local Court heard that he deliberately used his boat to ram the shark several times, with its main injuries caused by the propeller.
A rope was tied to the shark's tail and it was towed back to a boat ramp, where the department said it was beaten to death with a metal pole."
https://phys.org/news/2014-02-hefty-fine-great-white-shark.html
The story should not be about the shark or what could have been done should have been done
The story is about a guy that died doing something he loved it was moments before it happened in pure happiness surfing.
I don't think dying doing something you love is the consolation you think it is. You're still fucking dead.
His family still lost him 30 years before they probably would have otherwise. But i'm sure they feel better about that knowing he went out doing something fun. Not.
And who says he was happy anyway? Maybe he was sitting wide because he'd just accidentally dropped in on someone and he was feeling like a gronk. Maybe he was frustrated because he wasn't getting any waves. You don't know.
The whole died doing what they love thing is horseshit.
Every 1 will die its life you will not no the way you will go
I would rather it be doing something I loved instead of dying a slow death by cancer or people wiping my arse 4 10yrs in a nursing home or some other fucked up disease my family and friends see me suffer through.
If you want to go out before any of that stuff happens, sure do it on your own terms Hunter S Thompson style.
But I think it's rich to paint dying doing something enjoyable as any consolation for an early demise. At 40 years old, I would rather suffer through years of illness relishing every last minute with my wife and family than go out suddenly due to bad luck. But each to their own.
I'm a 43 yr old I have heaps of kids and a loving wife I love surfing riding bikes if my time came and I died doing that it would be sad but again I've had 43yrs it not seeing my friends kids with cancer dying under 10 when they have not had there moment in life.
But this story is not about me
Agree CT110!
Getting EATEN alive is not something to be happy about...........the guy would have been shitting himself and to say that is a great way to go rather than sitting around in a nursing home ...wtf.....he was 55 not 95....and if he died from a heart attack in the surf maybe your point would be valid but getting ripped to shreds sucks .
Exactly!
This guy was not happy when he died.
So given the choice you’d prefer to be taken by a shark today rather than get another 30 or 40 years (dunno your age) and die of cancer?
If I'm going to go doing something I love then a heart attack during sex would be my preference
Why was Johno210's question brushed aside so quickly? The shark was filmed circling the Ski!! (Although it was off at the time) Sound and vibrations travel very far underwater and although they are not especially smart animals ....... those individuals who have encountered boats before know one thing...it is something of great interest and usually means food. Just ask anyone who fishes off that coastline.
Jeff S took his ski out AFTER the attack to try and find the victim......wasn't out beforehand...
Reports were he was there within 60s, so guessing he was up towing Indies and heard the commotion?
I thought reports were that the shark turned up within a minute after he turned his ski off, not that he got there that quickly.....?
dunno about towing, but he definitely rides the ski out there to surf and parks it in the channel
A predatory white shark has just killed another human and the law prevents it from being terminated, BS. Act in the moment while opportunity presents and do the just thing.
As gruesome as it sounds it would have been nice for the guy's family to retrieve the remains from the shark. As for jetski noise attracting sharks? It's a certainty I think. I worked on a tuna poling boat out of Lincoln, they are a curious fish and will check out anything. Kingfish behave the same way.
A GW following the slick of a fishing boat is a completely different thing than stalking a bunch of surfers, albeit probably stinky too in their own way
What slick? All the curious shark interaction I saw was while we were catching pilchards in Coffin Bay for live bait. Pacific islanders use half coconut shells clapped together in the water to attract reef sharks. Sharks are attracted to any commotion, that's my experience anyway
Very sorry to hear of this and condolences to the victim and his family.
Surfed Granites a fair bit over the years and never seen a jetski there.
Wonder why Schmucker was there on a ski on this particular day?
Jeff and others tow and foil surf the outer point and some of the other bombies in the surround of granites
(often through paddling surfers)
I've been reading and watching the news reports and interviews with JS , sounds more like he was doing a job fishing in morning and then arrived to granites to go surfing.
Within a few minutes after attack.
So then he immediately launched his ski at tractor beach, and he was in the water after the incident.
This theory about whale migration , what whale migration?
There are no whales to be seen going north or south around here,
The whales go to head of bight, fowler's Bay is close by, a place there's been no shark attacks. Seeing a whale off the Elliston coast is rare. In west Australia you see hundreds of whales going north then south every year. It's not like that in SA, Eyre peninsula.
Other than far west coast SA I have seen on average one whale every 4 years, from cactus to Port Lincoln coastline. But I see sea lions and seals nearly every surf, um i think sharks are close by trying to eat them, whale or no whale it's sharks territory already
That seems to be a better explanation Clam.
A true tradgedy getting eatan by a sea monster. Condolences to the family.
The increase in seal numbers in SA is definately a factor.
Heaps more around the island these days.
Used to see the odd one around De Estrees now they haul out around the corner.
Old mate got chomped and was lucky to survive.
I'm not sure how many people surf the big left down the other end these days after differant old mate got chomped and was lucky to survive. Which is a bummer because that place is world class.
I've heard of a place on WC that has been the scene of 2 births of GW, You all will probably say bullshit, and rightly so, but I've heard this off two reputable sources. Apparently they semi beach themselves on rocks and give birth at this place. For what it's worth, i dont think GW are endangered and cage diving needs to stop.
That whole area is also a known land-based fishing hotspot for Australian Salmon, which I believe are a favourite meal for the seals/sea lions and would be part of the reason for their healthy population, I imagine.
I think Clam is on the money. Forget the ski or the whale theory.
I've mentioned this before but to repeat.
Tracking studies in Northern California found resident large GWs routinely went back and forth across the main channel leading to the open ocean from the seal colony. They had favourite ambush spots for easy meals and stuck to the same pattern most of the time.
The good news from that is that they are stuck in a rut to a fair degree and don't explore and experiment with new approaches and unfamiliar prey that much. Hence the lack of attacks next to many seal colonies near surf spots around the world (e.g Phillip Island and Dungeons) despite being known GW haunts. We are safer than one would expect.
Younger GWs however are more experimental and may be discouraged from hunting in the prime spots by the big boys and girls, so they explore more. They are more dangerous.
Also a known fact is that if you meet a big bear that is on the move outside its main territory you are in more danger than if you happen to be in their usual haunt. Travelling bears are more on edge and more likely to be hungry and opportunistic.
GWs are probably the same.
So, being around the teenagers (e.g. North NSW) and in the path of migrating populations is not so great.
However, those following the whales would be somewhat in a one track mindset - eat more whale - than being in scavenge, hungry mode.
The above can be a bit reassuring for some compared to perceived risk based purely on numbers of sharks in an area and less so for others depending on where you surf.
South African big wave surfer Twiggy Baker said in a recent interview that when he wipes out at Dungeons, he knows a few big GWs are probably looking at him. So he lies flat and still and calm and slows his heart rate down waiting for the ski pick up.
His logic is to look as little like a seal as possible. It seems to work.
My heart stopped when I watched that bit of Twiggy trying not to look like a seal.
I did the same thing when I got washed off the rocks in the dark and had a long swim in covered in fish blood/slime.
Barely moved. Tried not to attract any attention.
Doing the 10 minute paddle in by myself from a reef you'd know, I'm half way in at the deepest point and turn around randomly to see a big fin, clearly not a dolphin, following directly in my wake, it submerges about 10m behind me heading straight towards me.
I stopped, faced it, legs up holding my board in front of my knees and just waited the time I thought it would take to hit me, having no real plan other than use the board to keep it off. Nothing, waited a bit longer, then all I could think is don't splash and don't get the heart rate up, so eventually turned and paddled in hard but smooth, even breaths.
Got safely to the rocks and let the heart go lol. I never did look under the water towards it. I think I'd never surf that spot again if I actually saw it's face and size.
Yep, the concept of knowing they are watching you and lying flat on your back trying to be calm is mind boggling!
I hate it when frothers kick their legs trying to get onto a wave at sharky spots. Just ringing a dinner bell for anything within a kilometre....
Got chased in soon after a guy did that a few years ago after having been out surfing by myself for an hour being quiet and smooth. The surf background noise hides a lot of vibrations but not kicking.
S -*ole @ yorkes has been lucky to not have anything happen to this point due to a seal colony setting up shop on the little island next door!
They all but a few disappeared not long ago for a good reasons I think.
Am wondering why there has not been much about this in mainstream media (my primary news being Auntie ABC). Is this because there have been no remains found/still under investigation etc? It got a mention early on on abc news app - but nothing since.
Sincere condolences to family of deceased.
Where is the photos of the surfboard with a bite out of it?
seems weird there's been no photo, especially because JS retrieved it !
Still no media release of the poor fellas details yet either which again is strange ?
Has been named and the Family thanked all and requested Privacy at this Time.
By the information on the video with JS saying how he offered to kill the shark and retrieve the victim,
Means he carries a weapon with him.
What sort of weapon would js be in possession of ?
Clam a mate who has lived off and on the Eyre, mainly Elliston told me about 5 or so years ago he was out at Caves and half of the guys in the water were had shark shields.
Do you use one or don't rate them?
When does it get to the point where this apex predators numbers get to the point where you can't go into the ocean without the fear of getting attacked or eaten alive (like the Croc's in the tropics).If we look at what has happened with the Croc's their numbers have grown to where you realistically can't go into the sea or any large body of salt water. They have been protected since the early 70's (approx. 50 yrs). Where I live we are seeing a lot more GWS & some known hot spots are now no go zones for most surfers. Condolences to the family & friends of the latest victim.