(WatchDogReport.org) – A 15-year-old lad was slain in a brutal shark attack along Australia’s southern coast, as confirmed by the police. The incident occurred off Ethel Beach in the Innes National Park on the Yorke Peninsula.
Marty Goody, a resident familiar with the locality and an experienced surfer in the region, suggested that the boy was swimming approximately 100 to 130 feet away from the shore. He remarked that this area is widely exposed to the open ocean and typically catches the most significant waves due to its location.
Unfortunately, this fatal attack adds to the grim tally of shark-related fatalities in South Australia’s recent history. In a similar incident back in May, a 46-year-old individual encountered a shark attack at Walkers Rocks Beach on Eyre Peninsula, resulting in serious injuries.
Another fatal incident took place in late October when a 55-year-old Australian man died following a shark bite while surfing near Granites Beach, situated south of Streaky Bay on the Eyre Peninsula.
The victim of this latest attack, Khai Cowley, was surfing alongside his father when a suspected great white shark attacked him. Despite efforts to save him, emergency services were unable to revive the young surfer.
Also in 2023, other individuals surfing in isolated regions of South Australia were victims of fatal shark attacks, and unfortunately, their remains were never located.
The state of South Australia has seen a total of 11 fatal shark attacks since 2000, with three occurring within a short period since May this year. This concerning trend has raised alarms among officials, including South Australia Premier Peter Malinauskas, who expressed his worry about the recent surge in attacks.
According to shark expert Andrew Fox, who is based in Adelaide, this year’s rise in shark-related incidents in South Australia, including both fatal and non-fatal attacks, poses a puzzling challenge. Fox highlighted that cloudy conditions, similar to those on the day of the Ethel Beach incident, might influence shark behavior, possibly leading to such encounters.
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