Overview
- Brad Smith, 29, died after a large shark struck him while he surfed near Gracetown, about 150 miles south of Perth.
- Witnesses described the shark as “as wide as a car” and said his board was snapped in two, with a second shark seen closing in.
- Fellow surfers risked their safety to reach him, and an anaesthetist at the scene said his injuries were unsurvivable and his death likely quick and painless.
- Police recovered his damaged surfboard as boats and aircraft searched the area, but the shark was not located.
- Authorities say the attacker was most likely a great white based on the speed and force described, while some locals urged a cull and his relatives opposed killing the animal.