Search for missing surfer after suspected shark attack
A surfer is feared to have been attacked by a shark at a beach in Western Australia.
A beachgoer called emergency crews to the Kelps Beds in Wylie Bay, near Esperance, at 10.45am on Friday with claims they had seen a shark attack, Esperance police confirmed in Twitter.
“About 10:45am this morning, police received information from St John Ambulance regarding a possible shark attack at Kelp Beds in Wylie Bay, near Esperance,” officers posted.
The surfer, believed to be an adult male, has not been located but a board was recovered from the water.
Marine Rescue personnel are searching for the man and paramedics are on standby.
Nearby Wylie Bay has been closed to the public.
A shark was reportedly seen in the Kelp Beds area less than two hours before the possible attack, The West Australian reported.
A temporary warning sign was installed at the beach around 9:20am, according to the publication.
Sammy Bamford told WA Today he was swimming with his partner about 1 kilometre from Kelp Beds when he saw a massive shark.
"I spotted a shark, 2.5 to 3 metres big, about 50 to 100 metres away. I called out to her to get out, and next minute we had [ambulances] fly past us," he said.
Surfer Laeticia Brouwer, 17, was fatally mauled by a shark in the same area in April 2017.
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