This is the first attack of this kind since 1963. On Wednesday February 16, a white shark approached an Australian beach of Little Bay and attacked a diver, a few meters from the shore.
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A sudden attack!
First fatal shark attack off Sydney in 60 years reported. There’s a horrifying video of the attack by a large great white that’s doing the rounds, not in the video below. Tragic, truly scary. pic.twitter.com/Vq3lfMF6MV
— Shiv Aroor (@ShivAroor) February 16, 2022
A white shark had just emerged from the water and attacked a swimmer. He attacks it, kills it and devours it, according to a witnesses:
We heard a scream and turned around - it sounded like a car had landed in water.
Another witness reported:
(The victim) screamed at first. Then when he was pulled under the surface, there was so many splashes.
According to the various people present during the incident, the animal was almost 5 meters tall, making him a giant shark. Following this attack, which happened near the coast, the authorities closed many beaches east of Sydney and asked the population not to go swimming.
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Victim was hitched
We are deeply saddened to hear that the diver in the viral Syndey Shark attack video was one of our own. Simon Nellist was described by those he served with as "a top bloke" and he will be sorely missed.
— Line Of Duty UK (@Lineofdutyuk) February 18, 2022
Our thoughts are with his fiancée, family and friends. Rest easy Simon pic.twitter.com/G13325FjJW
An hour after the attack, the body of the victim, Simon Nellist, was recovered, along with his equipment. Simon Nellist was a 35-year-old British boy, originally from Cornwall, he spent many years in the army, as reported by the Daily Mail.
Simon Nellist was an expatriate in Australia and had become, in recent months, a diving instructor.
According to sources, he was to get married soon. Simon Nellist is described by his family as a lover of 'aquatic wildlife.'
Some family members told the Daily Mail:
We don't think Simon would have liked the shark to be killed. He loved nature.
Australian authorities are still actively looking for the animal in order to send it off, or at least to remove the threat. Surprising footage was uploaded on Twitter shortly after the incident. The social network subsequently banned it.