Police in western Australia on Sunday called off a search for a swimmer who was attacked by a shark. Police said there was an extensive marine search for the father of two, which turned up a pair of goggles believed to belong to him.
The wife of Paul Millachip, 57, said she was with him at the Port Beach in the suburb of Perth on Saturday morning when two teenagers on a boat witnessed the shark attack.
“It came out of the blue. But it did happen, you just have to deal with it,” the wife said, asking not to have her name published. She praised the teenagers who tried to help.
When the shark attacked a second time, they raced their boat and alerted other swimmers to get out of the water.
“They have been really, really helpful. They have done a great job of alerting other people on the beach and other swimmers,” Police Acting Inspector Troy Douglas told the ABC.
Police said earlier the attack may have involved more than one shark, but witnesses said it appeared to be a 15-foot great white.
“A family is now grieving, a man has lost his life. It’s a terribly sad situation,” West Australia Premier Mark McGowan said.
The most recent fatal shark attack in Australia was on Sept. 5 in New South Wales state on the eastern coast when a surfer was killed by a shark as many locals went to beaches to celebrate Father’s Day.
Last year, the toll of eight fatalities in shark attacks was Australia’s highest since 1929, when nine died. The introduction of shark nets at popular beaches in the 1930s led to a significant fall in fatal attacks.
According to the Florida Museum of Natural History, which tracks shark attacks worldwide, there were 18 unprovoked shark attacks in Australia last year.
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