A young surfer has died in a shark attack off the coast of South Australia. The teenager was pulled from the water lifeless and with serious injuries at Ethel Beach in Innes National Park, west of the city of Adelaide, police said on Thursday. The accident happened around 1:30 pm (local time).
Third fatal shark attack in a year
The victim was 14 years old, ABC reported. The boy was about 40 meters from shore at the time, according to other media reports. Sharks were spotted in the area just two days ago. They may have been hunting, as there are currently larger schools of salmon in the waters. “I've seen a few sharks here in 22 years, but this was the first fatal attack here,” a local surfer told ABC.
The victim had traveled with his family from Adelaide, about 300 kilometers away, for a surfing trip, station 9News reported. Relatives may have witnessed the attack from the shore. Ethel Beach, approximately 450 meters long, located on the Yorke Peninsula, is very popular with surfers and is particularly popular during the summer holidays.
It was the third fatal shark attack in the state of South Australia this year – two men were fatally injured in shark attacks a few months ago. Their bodies were never recovered. In November, a 32-year-old woman was attacked by a shark off the coast of South Australia and seriously injured her head. In October, a 64-year-old woman survived an attack with serious leg injuries.
Faced with the growing number of attacks, there have been calls for more protection for surfers and bathers in the region. Unlike other states, South Australia does not use water traps or nets to keep sharks away, ABC reported. However, there are patrols with aerial surveillance. The region's Greens demanded that the state subsidize shark repellents for swimmers.