A 63-year-old “devoted” father and soon-to-be grandfather was reportedly killed by a shark while swimming off an Australian beach this week.
Greg O’Neill was attacked on Friday at Sorrento Beach, in Perth’s northern suburbs, as horrified beachgoers watched from shore.
Ryan Rowe, a local resident who arrived at the beach shortly afterward, told The West Australian that the amount of blood at the scene was overwhelming. “I couldn’t believe there was that much blood (that had) come out of a human body,” he said.
A great white shark swims in a file photo. (Design Pics Editorial/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
The fatal attack led Western Australia Fisheries Minister Jackie Jarvis to authorize the rare capture and killing of the great white shark believed to be responsible. Great white sharks are a protected species.
“In making that decision, I considered the exceptional circumstances of the attack, the hazard posed by the shark, and the potential recovery of coronial evidence,” Jarvis said.
Police have not confirmed whether O’Neill’s remains have been recovered, but said they were confident the “swimmer died as a result of the attack.”
Police stand on Sorrento Beach in Perth, Australia on Friday after a suspected fatal shark attack. (Andrew O’Connor/Australian Broadcasting Corp via AP)
Witness Darrel Haythornthwaite told Nine Network television that O’Neill had been swimming with a friend when the shark struck.
“I was just shocked. I mean, I feel for his mate,” Haythornthwaite said. He recalled reassuring the friend, who said, “I didn’t save my mate.” Haythornthwaite responded: “You couldn’t have done anything.”
In a statement to ABC News Australia, O’Neill’s family said they were “deeply shocked and devastated” by the loss of Greg James O’Neill, whom they described as a father, grandfather-to-be, brother, uncle, husband and friend.
A police boat and helicopter patrol Sorrento Beach in Perth, Australia, on Friday after a suspected fatal shark attack. (Andrew O’Connor/Australian Broadcasting Corp via AP)
“He was a generous, devoted family man that gave his children so much love, care and opportunity,” the family said. “Greg loved the ocean and was known as a passionate swimmer, sports lover, dedicated worker and an all round generous, witty guy.” They added that they deeply appreciated the condolences and support offered by the community.
The attack came days after a surfer suffered a serious leg injury in another shark incident on Monday, roughly 250 miles north of Perth.
O’Neill was the fifth person killed in a shark attack in Australia this year.
Three spearfishing divers died in separate attacks between May and June, while a 12-year-old boy was killed in Sydney Harbor in January.
