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| Byron Bay shark attack victim named as British expat Paul Wilcox | Byron Bay shark attack victim named as British expat Paul Wilcox |
| (about 14 hours later) | |
| A 50-year-old businessman killed by a shark after swimming off the coast of New South Wales was a British expat living in the area with his wife. | |
| Paul Wilcox, a member of the Byron Bay Swim Club, was swimming in the shallows on the eastern side of Byron Bay's main beach when he was attacked on Tuesday. | |
| Wilcox, an IT specialist who ran his own business, had joked with his parents about the risk sharks posed during their last conversation. | |
| Bryan and Marie Wilcox, who live in north Wales, said they had spoken to him not long before he set off on his swim. | |
| "This subject came up in a joke when we last spoke to him," Mr Wilcox told the Rhyl, Prestatyn and Abergele Journal. | |
| "But he said there had only been three shark attacks in the last 12 years. It's just extraordinary." | |
| At a press conference at Clarkes beach, Inspector Bobbie Cullen of Tweed-Byron police said officers were called at approximately 10.45am after a man was dragged from the water with severe injuries to his right leg. | |
| "He was a Byron Bay local on his own swimming, and his wife was on beach at the time of the attack," said Cullen. | "He was a Byron Bay local on his own swimming, and his wife was on beach at the time of the attack," said Cullen. |
| Witnesses told Guardian Australia that the woman appeared to be in a highly distressed state as paramedics and police attended the victim. | Witnesses told Guardian Australia that the woman appeared to be in a highly distressed state as paramedics and police attended the victim. |
| A beachgoer, Mark Hickey, tried to save Wilcox by dragging him from the water and onto the sand, but he died at the scene. | A beachgoer, Mark Hickey, tried to save Wilcox by dragging him from the water and onto the sand, but he died at the scene. |
| "The man showed extraordinary bravery in trying to rescue the victim," said Cullen. | "The man showed extraordinary bravery in trying to rescue the victim," said Cullen. |
| Hickey told a reporter he saw a six-or-seven foot shark attacking the victim. "I saw what looked like seaweed but it was blood in the water," he said. "The shark came back to him and had another go. I didn't know it was a person but when I realised I ran out and waded to the bank and grabbed him and did CPR but it was too late." | Hickey told a reporter he saw a six-or-seven foot shark attacking the victim. "I saw what looked like seaweed but it was blood in the water," he said. "The shark came back to him and had another go. I didn't know it was a person but when I realised I ran out and waded to the bank and grabbed him and did CPR but it was too late." |
| Wilcox moved to Australia after working in the IT industry in Britain and was founder and managing director of Refocus Learning, a business he set up in 2000. His wife Victoria also has her own business in Byron Bay. | Wilcox moved to Australia after working in the IT industry in Britain and was founder and managing director of Refocus Learning, a business he set up in 2000. His wife Victoria also has her own business in Byron Bay. |
| Helicopter footage showed the shark, believed to be a great white, swimming close to the shore. | Helicopter footage showed the shark, believed to be a great white, swimming close to the shore. |
| Life-saving services are not due to start in Byron Bay until next week, meaning that the beach was unpatrolled. Cullen said police and lifeguards acted quickly to shut the beach down, but signs were spaced far apart and did not indicate the reason for the beach closure. | Life-saving services are not due to start in Byron Bay until next week, meaning that the beach was unpatrolled. Cullen said police and lifeguards acted quickly to shut the beach down, but signs were spaced far apart and did not indicate the reason for the beach closure. |
| Backpackers Rafi Mitchell and Steven Miller said: "We didn't see any signs about the shark attack and jumped in but we thought it was really strange that we were the only people swimming." They were later warned to come in from the beach by another tourist. | Backpackers Rafi Mitchell and Steven Miller said: "We didn't see any signs about the shark attack and jumped in but we thought it was really strange that we were the only people swimming." They were later warned to come in from the beach by another tourist. |
| A local man, Richard Buxton, 70, who was walking along the shore said he was still keen to swim. | A local man, Richard Buxton, 70, who was walking along the shore said he was still keen to swim. |
| "The odds of someone else getting attacked now are very small. That there's been a shark attack will not stop me from swimming," he said. | "The odds of someone else getting attacked now are very small. That there's been a shark attack will not stop me from swimming," he said. |
| "It's not the shark's fault," Buxton added before looking around at the closed beach and the choppers flying low overhead. "But I don't think I'll go in now." | "It's not the shark's fault," Buxton added before looking around at the closed beach and the choppers flying low overhead. "But I don't think I'll go in now." |
| The police were hoping to "chase" the shark from the beach rather than cull it. | The police were hoping to "chase" the shark from the beach rather than cull it. |
| "If it is a great white it is protected and we follow procedures," said Cullen. | "If it is a great white it is protected and we follow procedures," said Cullen. |
| Byron Bay resident Sally Howell said: "Everyone is shaken. The beach is a crucial part of life here and the bay was always seen as one of the safest places to swim. We are all just in shock." | Byron Bay resident Sally Howell said: "Everyone is shaken. The beach is a crucial part of life here and the bay was always seen as one of the safest places to swim. We are all just in shock." |
| The last fatal shark attack in the area was in 1993. Police are preparing a report for the coroner. | The last fatal shark attack in the area was in 1993. Police are preparing a report for the coroner. |