A surfer, tragically killed by a great white shark at a Western Australian beach, had chosen not to surf at a South Australian beach a few weeks prior after hearing about a fatal shark attack from locals.
Steven Payne, a 37-year-old from New Zealand, was a few weeks into a six-month journey across Australia with his girlfriend and their dog when they decided to catch some waves at Wharton Beach on the south coast of Western Australia in March.
Mr. Payne, who had been free from testicular cancer for three years, was surfing in chest-deep water about 50 meters from the shore at the time of the incident.
Shocked onlookers, including his partner who was reading a book on the sand, were powerless to help him as his screams rang out.
The rescue operation became a recovery mission after a member of the public shared drone footage of Mr Payne being attacked by the shark with police.
His surfboard was found nearby with bite marks, but authorities were unable to find his body.
The Coroner’s Court of Western Australia heard on Wednesday that Mr Payne owned a shark deterrent device but did not wear it as he thought it would not need it once he left South Australia.
The inquiry was told that he and his partner Catherine had chosen not to surf at Granites Beach in SA after locals mentioned a fatal shark attack in January, PerthNow reported.
Surfer Steven Payne (pictured, with his dog Poppy) had been travelling Western Australia with his partner Catherine Birch when he was fatally attacked by a great white, an inquest has heard
Despite search efforts Mr Payne’s body has never been recovered
The inquest was told Mr Payne went into the water with two other surfers about 10.15am on March 10 while his girlfriend Catherine Birch relaxed on the shore with their dog Poppy.
After 90 minutes, she ran to the water’s edge when she spotted a commotion.
‘Catherine then realised that the commotion was where she had last seen Steven and the victim of the attack was wearing the same distinctive sun hat that he wore,’ Acting Sergeant Craig Robertson said.
‘From what she witnessed, Catherine immediately knew that Steven was dead.’
He said the DNA testing from Mr Payne’s damaged surfboard revealed a 100 per cent match for a great white.
The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development’s Dr Steven Travers assessed the drone footage, concluding the shark was between 3.2-3.5 metres long.
Sgt Robertson told the inquest the other surfers could not help Mr Payne, as they had each reached a nearby rock and the shore.
‘The attack concluded by the shark dragging Steven down into the large circle of blood-stained water that surrounded them… He was never seen to resurface following that,’ he said.
Mr Payne first picked up surfing while studying at the University of Otago in New Zealand
Mr Payne had been in remission from testicular cancer for three years at the time of the attack
Investigators who assessed the drone video found ‘the images show Steven sustaining injuries and blood loss which are incompatible with life’, the inquest heard.
Deputy State Coroner Sarah Linton told the inquest Mr Payne’s death would likely be ruled a fatal accident.
Mr Payne and Ms Birch had been together for 12 years and adopted their dog, Poppy, seven years ago.
The trio were five weeks into a six-month caravan trip around the western half of Australia, his family said after the incident.
‘Just a week ago, Steve surfed one of the best waves of his life, sharing the wave with a dolphin. He was stoked,’ they wrote in a statement.
The family said Mr Payne would not support a shark cull or any attempt to kill the shark responsible.
‘He and his partner spent a lot of time in the ocean together, had enjoyed many dives with sharks and knew the risks,’ they said.
The inquest heard it took emergency services 40 minutes to reach the remote beach on March 10.
Ms Birch was left distraught after witnessing her partner’s attack from the shore
It was then closed as the search operation began but the hunt was called off after two days.
Police have suggested Mr Payne’s body may have been taken from the location by the shark but teams did find his sun hat, two pieces of his wetsuit and foam believed to be from the damaged nose of his board.
Western Australia Police Force Senior Sergeant Christopher Taylor described Ms Birch as distraught following the ordeal.
‘Her life was turned upside down,’ he said in March.
‘You can imagine how she is, it’s just horrible.
‘It is heartbreaking obviously and the whole community of Esperance feels the pain – not as much as the family, they’re distraught and trying to come to terms with what happened.’
Witnesses described seeing a ‘massive shark’ launching itself at the surfer in the water.
Mr Payne first picked up surfing while studying at the University of Otago in Dunedin, NZ.
It was a passion he maintained after moving to Geelong, on Victoria’s southern coast.
‘We are devastated to have lost Steve,’ they said.
‘Steve was one of the best. A gentle giant, he was smart, kind, funny, laid back and very practical.
‘While he wasn’t a man of many words, he loved his partner deeply, cherished his family, thought the world of his best mates, and was devoted to his dog.’
Mr Payne worked in Melbourne as a sales and marketing director and a volunteer firefighter.
He grew up in Lower Hutt, near Wellington, and school friends described him as a talented rugby player.
It’s understood that Mr Payne and his partner had previously lived in Namibia, South Africa.
Authorities arrived at the remote beach at 12.10pm on March 10, before closing the beach to commence a search.
