U.S. Diver Killed in Shark Attack off Australian Coast
- Posted on October 22, 2011 at 12:32pm by
Madeleine Morgenstern
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An American diver was killed in a shark attack off the coast of Western Australia coast Saturday, the second such attack in the last 12 days.
The 32-year-old man was diving alone off a 25-foot boat. According to the BBC, witnesses on the boat saw a large amount of bubbles surfacing, followed by the diver’s body with “obviously fatal injuries.”
Two people on the boat described seeing a 10-foot great white shark in the water as they were leaving the area with the body.
The man’s name and hometown have not yet been released, but he had been working in Western Australia for the last six months on a visa. Authorities are still trying to contact his family.
The state government has promised to hunt and destroy the shark, and is considering more aircraft surveillance off west coast beaches, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.
Two weeks ago, a 64-year-old man was killed in an apparent shark attack at another Western Australia beach. His body was not recovered, though his swim trunks were later retrieved with signs said to be consistent with a shark attack.
Authorities said they don’t know whether the same shark is responsible for both tragedies, but the local police sergeant said weather conditions were similar on both days.
“It’s a cloudy old day today which is the same as we had the other day with Cottesloe [Beach], and they’re the conditions that sharks love,” Western Australia Police Sgt. Gerry Cassidy said.
In September, a 21-year-old bodyboarder was bitten in half in a shark attack south of the beach where Saturday’s attack occurred.
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Comments (60)
toto
Posted on October 22, 2011 at 11:34pmProgressives want to remove the humans or remove the sharks. Liberty means dealing with the world as it is, hopefully in an educated fashion, but it should be your choice whether to take the risk.
Report Post »mrsmileyface
Posted on October 22, 2011 at 9:00pmI guess sarcasm escapes the both of you. Nobodys perfect.
Report Post »BowHuntingTexas
Posted on October 22, 2011 at 7:11pm“Jaws” came out when I was about 10. Went to see it with my parents at the theater. And I’ve not had any desire to go into the ocean since then.
Report Post »last straw
Posted on October 22, 2011 at 6:07pmJust so you don‘t scare the tourists it’s referred to as ‘fish infested waters” ….. Welcome to Sea World!
Report Post »prov1
Posted on October 22, 2011 at 7:05pmSad, yes, but, they are not kittens…you go there ….fish bait ! Swim somewhere else, Good God— like strapping on bacon to your naked body in a pitt bull pit ? But I wanna play with the sharks….they don’t have time outs or half time…they have YUMM
Report Post »Bernard
Posted on October 22, 2011 at 5:59pmI fully believe that sharks are not only intelligent, they remember. I bet when Australia was only populated by the Australoids (the aboriginal people and the fourth race which is dying out) shark killings were an unknown.
Report Post »Now Australia, like the USA are filled with well fed humans who have made the beach a recreational activity. Most victims are well fed white people. I bet these sharks have taken a liking to white meat and know the seasons to go to their favorite feeding grounds along the Florida and California coasts and along Australia’s beaches.
I believe that humans, especially well fed white humans are now a part of the menu of these sharks.
GUNTHER30
Posted on October 22, 2011 at 6:06pmWell fed white humans.. no racism here folks look away.
Report Post »Thomas Payne
Posted on October 22, 2011 at 6:14pmHey Bernard, what does it feel like to be a moron?
Report Post »ProbIemSoIver
Posted on October 22, 2011 at 8:51pmThat shark is definitely NOT racist. As I recall, I have never heard of a Great White Shark attacking a black man.
Report Post »Carolina Infidel
Posted on October 23, 2011 at 5:31amThey can’t tell what color the meat is. They don’t know what they are eating until they bite into it. They are ambush predators who pretty much attack “shadows and sillhouettes” on the surface. It is their not being exactly an intelligent species that has made them endure evolution.
Report Post »Sharks, gators and crocodiles have thrived for millions of years because of their genius simplicity. Don’t let your food know you are about to eat it. If it fights back let it go or drown it.
I personally stay out of their habitat as much as possible.
Meyvn
Posted on October 23, 2011 at 7:26am@ProbIemSoIver: Maybe they taste funny?
Report Post »Yeah_Buddy
Posted on October 24, 2011 at 2:38pmUmm…I don’t think many colored people swim in the first place. And most are probably smart enough to stay out of shark infested waters.
Report Post »Dougalug
Posted on October 22, 2011 at 5:44pmWhy anyone would go swimming or diving in waters frequented by sharks, esp alone is beyond me. Darwin award!
Report Post »chazman
Posted on October 22, 2011 at 5:59pm… that damn fish has a serious case of gum disease. No wonder it’s pissed off …
Report Post »Mainer forever
Posted on October 22, 2011 at 5:44pm“It’s a cloudy old day today which is the same as we had the other day with Cottesloe [Beach], and they’re the conditions that sharks love,” Western Australia Police Sgt. Gerry Cassidy said.
What exactly is a “cloudy OLD day”?
Report Post »last straw
Posted on October 22, 2011 at 5:34pmMaybe they should make the oceans an extension of Sea World so they could sell tickets to all the shark mayhem. A diver goes into the water with a probable encounter with a MAN- EATING shark and then the said MAN-EATING shark does what any cold-blooded MAN-EATING shark would do …. duh.
Then they want to kill this MAN-EATING shark for being a MAN-EATING shark and to teach all the other MAN-EATING sharks how to behave …… double duh!!
Report Post »last straw
Posted on October 22, 2011 at 5:24pmMaybe they should make the oceans an extension of Sea World and then they could sell tickets to all the shark mayhem. A diver goes into the water at the risk encounter with a MAN-EATING shark and then said MAN-EATING shark eats a man …… duh!
Then we want to go kill this MAN-EATING shark to teach all the other MAN-EATING sharks how to behave. Boy, we’ll teach them alright …… double duh!!
Report Post »brian8793
Posted on October 22, 2011 at 4:15pmThat sharks probably a pimp in the “shark world.”
He’s gonna brag to his friends about this for the rest of his life. Too bad it wasn’t an Asian. That’s like filet minon to a shark.
Nah, seriously though, I don’t feel sorry for this guy. Peace
Report Post »GUNTHER30
Posted on October 22, 2011 at 4:30pmWhat’s your problem? Sure this guy knows the risks of diving but no reason to be a complete tool toward a man you never even knew. I am sure no one will say the same about you when you are gone because no one will even care.
Report Post »decendentof56
Posted on October 22, 2011 at 4:39pmThe brother of a deceased friend of mine used to go with a friend as the friend flew a banner plane just off the coast of Daytona Beach. His brother said about 150 yards or more off shore you could see many, many sharks on certain days.
Report Post »i do not like the ocean, and after story, it sealed the deal for me.
brian8793
Posted on October 22, 2011 at 4:12pmHaha! That was ray of sunshine at the end up that trash heap of a comment.
Report Post »NOTAMUSHROOM
Posted on October 22, 2011 at 3:52pmDid you actually think about what you typed before you posted it?
Report Post »1casawizard
Posted on October 22, 2011 at 3:12pmYou’d be surprised flying over the coast and inlets seeing sharks feeding while as close as several hundred feet away people will be jumping off boats and just having a good time. You are amazed at first but get used to seeing it in the summer. They wouldn’t be out there if they knew sharks were that close. If you had a balloon with a camera looking down you could spot ‘em in some cases, most certainly in shallow inlet waters while the sun is shining. Maybe an invention here.
Report Post »sillyfreshness
Posted on October 22, 2011 at 3:08pmAustralia is just full of deadly creatures….from the deadly funnel web spider in Sydney to the whole host of the world’s deadliest snakes to salt water crocs to great whites. The only nice thing about that country is the weather.
Report Post »b.mclane
Posted on October 22, 2011 at 3:54pmThe people are fantastic and the country is magnificent. Its an old continent and has loads of deadly stuff. But Australia is fabulous.
Report Post »scuba13
Posted on October 22, 2011 at 3:00pmDiving alone at night is just stupid.
Report Post »gmoneytx
Posted on October 22, 2011 at 2:56pmI was a dive instructor for many years, and rule #1 always dive with a buddy. Rule #2 dive in favorable conditions, and never underestimate.
Way I see it, he broke both rules and paid the ultimate price. Prayers go out to his family. :(
Report Post »wewantchillywilly
Posted on October 22, 2011 at 2:50pmthey should have shark hunters. Goal: kill as many sharks as humanly possible. i hate them. i want sharks extinct. not endangered. extinct. dodo bird. gone.
i kitesurf. i am terrified of those monsters. you never know who will be next.
Report Post »scuba13
Posted on October 22, 2011 at 3:04pmI hope you get bit on the ass, idiot.
Report Post »saranda
Posted on October 22, 2011 at 5:56pmChillywilly – thinking like yours only points out that you might be a candidate for a future Darwin award. What a maroon.
Report Post »chevy68
Posted on October 23, 2011 at 9:37amIm going to chill with will, what did we do in Ohio? shoot them! Contol their population, cull them!
Report Post »whatthecrazy
Posted on October 22, 2011 at 1:54pmDang the bad luck
Report Post »Lemon Party Patriot
Posted on October 22, 2011 at 2:19pmThey should outlaw diving and boats or at least impose a heavy diving and boating tax. $$$$$$
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on October 22, 2011 at 2:34pmYou cannot fix Stupid… Go Sharks!
Report Post »Aiser
Posted on October 22, 2011 at 1:44pmLoL That sharks face is like ” :D “.
Report Post »1casawizard
Posted on October 22, 2011 at 3:15pmA D with red lipstick.
Report Post »ProbIemSoIver
Posted on October 22, 2011 at 8:55pmI would jump in the water and beat that sharks @$$, like if it were a progressive. lol
Report Post »jb.kibs
Posted on October 22, 2011 at 1:41pmit’s perfectly legal to do this, which means, everyone does it…
Report Post »i mean, if you legalize drugs, everyone is going to start killing themselves with them, yeah?
So really, you can’t even say you would never do this… once something is legal to do, everyone automatically has to do it… that is just common knowledge, ask ANYONE in the MEDIA… no one does ANYTHING by choice… never… it just never happens.
South Philly Boy
Posted on October 22, 2011 at 1:15pmYou could Not pay me enought MONEY to in WATER
Report Post »Islesfordian
Posted on October 22, 2011 at 12:56pmThat is my all time phobia, and the number one reason why I won’t go sea diving.
There are just too many more fun things to do on land.
Report Post »SilentReader
Posted on October 22, 2011 at 12:51pm{Big sigh} My condolences go out to his family and friends.
Report Post »SERUM
Posted on October 22, 2011 at 12:44pmDiving alone…that’d be breaking the number one diving rule. Kinda like hiking or clubbing.
Report Post »I don’t know if any of these victims were around any feading areas, such as seal breeding areas, but your percentage goes up when you dive alone…
COFemale
Posted on October 22, 2011 at 12:44pmThe first rule of diving is to never dive alone; you should always have a buddy. Having said this it may have not changed the outcome and perhaps two people would be dead instead of one. However, if one or both divers had a knife, which some divers carry when diving, they may have been able to ward off the shark or limited the outcome.
May God rest his soul and condolences to the family and friends.
Report Post »Islesfordian
Posted on October 22, 2011 at 12:59pmA knife? I’d want a speargun with explosive charges at least.
Report Post »GayDem4Beck
Posted on October 22, 2011 at 3:05pmYour so right, diving alone is stupid and foolish. Having a knife helps a little but this is why I carry a handheld .22 cal powderhead, also called a bang stick or a shark stick. If you see the shark coming or able to fight off the shark for a bit, you have a chance of using this to ward off the shark.
Report Post »southernORcobra
Posted on October 22, 2011 at 4:09pmsee going diving would be something I would love to do but…. I don’t know how to swim and I hate sharks.
Report Post »