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Australian surfer missing after suspected shark attack

Surfboard found at Wylie Bay and witness says they saw shark attack person

Samuel Osborne
Friday 09 October 2020 15:15 BST
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Surfer went missing at Wylie Bay, near the town of Esperance
Surfer went missing at Wylie Bay, near the town of Esperance (AFP via Getty Images)

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A surfer has gone missing after a suspected shark attack off the southwest coast of Australia.

A surfboard was found at Wylie Bay, near the town of Esperance, and a search is underway for the man who had been riding it, police said in a statement.

Ambulance officers reported the suspected shark attack at Kelp Beds Beach late on Friday morning.

"A witness called to say they saw a shark attack a person," ambulance service spokeswoman Joanne Hill told the Associated Press.

"We went to the scene. I understand they still haven't found anybody."

A 17-year-old girl was killed by a shark at the same spot in 2017.

Similarly, a 57-year-old diver was killed by a great white shark off Esperance in January, and his body was never found.

It comes after pro surfer Matt Wilkinson’s close encounter with a great white shark off Balina on the Australian east coast on Wednesday.

Drone footage showed the shark swim within inches of Mr Wilkinson’s feet as he paddled through the water, before the shark suddenly darted away.

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