Paul Millachip: Wife pays tribute to ‘wonderful’ Briton killed by great white shark in Australia

A search for the man was called off after Perth police confirmed the shark attack was fatal

Paul Millachip and his wife (PA)

A 57-year-old man from Britain was remembered by his wife as a “wonderful father” after he was killed by a shark attack off Australia’s west coast on Saturday morning.

Paul Millachip was swimming in at Port Beach near Perth on Saturday when he was attacked, prompting a search by Western Australia Police which has now been called off.

ABC reported that Millachip was swimming next to a dinghy when a tiger shark and a great white shark attacked him.

Mr Millachip’s wife, who asked to not be named, told Australian broadcasters on Sunday of her heartbreak following the incident.

“It came out of the blue. But it did happen, you just have to deal with it,” she said. “A special mention to those young lads in the boat for what they did in what must have been an absolutely terrifying experience for them, so my heart goes out to them and I thank them for what they did.

“Rest in peace, Paul. He died (doing) what he enjoyed doing the most, which was exercising. He was a wonderful man, a wonderful father, and he loved his exercise.”

The two teenagers were praised for their “heroics” at Port Beach. When the shark attacked for a second time, the teenagers raced their boat and alerted other swimmers to get out of the water.

Police said that the attack may have involved more than one shark, but witnesses said it appeared to be one four-and-a-half-metre (15-foot) great white.

Mr Millachip’s wife also thanked their friends in Perth who have provided support while her and Mr Millachip’s family are overseas and unable to travel to them.

Acting inspector Troy Douglas has previously said the father-of-two was a regular at the beach and that a pair of goggles believed to belong to him had been recovered.

He added: “Enquiries will continue based on anything that is washed up or anything that’s found in the future, but at this point the marine search is suspended.”