A teenager has died after being attacked by a shark in a popular tourist spot in South Australia.
The teenager’s body was found in the waters near Ethel Beach in Dhilba Guuranda-Innes National Park on the Yorke Peninsula, police said in a statement.
“At 1.30pm on Thursday 28 December, police received reports of a shark attack near Ethel Beach in Innes National Park,” police said. “Unfortunately, the teenager’s body was recovered from the water.”
Yorke Mid North Police, detectives and crime scene investigators were called to the scene of the attack. A coroner’s report is now underway following the tragic event.
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The victim is believed to be a 14-year-old boy who was on vacation with his family, local news outlet 7News reported.
The fatal attack is believed to be the first in the area, which is popular with surfers and families at this time of year, Australia’s ABC News reports.
“It’s a tragic, tragic incident,” said local resident and surfer Luke Sykora. “I’ve seen several sharks here over 22 years, but this is the first fatal attack we’ve had here.”
“I wouldn’t wish it on anyone… even to be on the same beach at the same time,” Sykora continued. “I think the city would mourn — I think it’s very sad and very tragic, and a bit of an eye-opener.”
The teenager’s body was discovered on Ethel Beach after a shark attack on December 28.
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School teacher believed killed in shark attack on South Australian beach: ‘I saw his board’
Speaking about the victim, Stansbury resident Marty Goody told ABC News: “It’s a very small surfing community on Yorke Peninsula and everyone knows each other. I’ve been surfing down here for 40 years and… you always knew there were sharks out there, but it does that there are many more of them now.”
“It was a beautiful day, there were a lot of people swimming down there and the waves were very weak so they weren’t very far from shore,” Goody said of the incident.
The incident comes after several deadly shark attacks in Australia this year.
There have been several shark attacks in South Australia this year.
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In May, school teacher Simon Baccanello, 46, was “presumed dead” after a shark attack at Walkers Rock Beach, about 450 miles west of Adelaide.
Witness Jaiden Millar, who was surfing at the scene at the time, told CBS News, “I saw his board going down, which means he’s under water and his board is pulling under … trying to get back up to the surface .”
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Two months before that, a teenage girl also died in a shark attack in Western Australia.
Stella Berry, 16, was attacked after jumping into Perth’s Swan River to swim with a pod of dolphins, the Associated Press, Reuters and CNN reported.
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education