Beaches closed as search goes on for shark that killed surfer
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Version 0 of 1. Several beaches in northern New South Wales remained closed on Tuesday morning as a search continues for what is believed to be a great white shark that killed a surfer. Tadashi Nakahara was paddling out from Shelly beach, near Ballina, on Monday morning when he was bitten by a large shark. A group of surfers dragged the 41-year-old from the water and performed CPR but he died on the beach. Beaches between south Ballina and Lennox Head were closed and lifeguards are patrolling to ensure swimmers stay out of the water. Ballina’s mayor, David Wright, said the community was in shock after Nakahara’s death. “He was very well known to locals as he worked at a surf shop and at a hotel in the township.” A shark expert from the Department of Primary Industries was heading to Ballina to investigate, Wright said. The surfers who were with Nakahara described the shark as being three to four metres long, Wright told ABC Radio. “It came up behind and took his board and his legs and that’s a horrible thing to happen.” Wright said the water was warm and sharks were attracted by the number of fish feeding close to the surface. “The fish are travelling through and the predators … come in and try and get [them] – there were lots of dolphins there yesterday going through, seven or eight, attacking the fish too.” Wright said the chances of finding the shark were remote. Monday’s attack was the sixth shark fatality in Australian waters in 12 months. On Sunday another surfer was bitten by a shark at Seven Mile beach, 25km north of Ballina. |