There are major fears for an Australian surfer missing after a suspected shark attack in the water where a man was fatally mauled just over a year ago.
The experienced surfer, aged in his 20s, was attacked at Granites Beach on Eyre Peninsula in South Australia shortly after 7pm on Thursday.
Emergency services rushed to the beach, about 700 kilometers from Adelaide, after receiving reports of a shark attack.
The search has begun for the missing surfer, who was home visiting family over Christmas, and will resume on Friday.
The beach has been closed to the public and people have been urged to stay away.
A fisherman reportedly spotted an “aggressive” great white shark in the area and took to Instagram to warn locals just hours before the surfer went missing.
The attack comes after Tod Gendle, 55, was killed by a four-metre great white shark while surfing at the same beach in October 2023.
Fellow surfer Jeff Schmucker, who raced on a jet ski to try to save him, said he saw Tod being dragged underwater by the huge shark.
The experienced surfer, aged in his 20s, was attacked by a shark at Granites Beach on South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula (pictured) shortly after 7pm on Thursday.
The attack comes after Tod Gendle, 55, was killed by a four-metre great white shark while surfing at the same beach in October 2023.
Schmucker said he was attacked and surrounded several times by a “large female” shark.
He did not see any remains of the 55-year-old’s body, but told 7News he was able to recover part of his surfboard from which a large bite mark had been removed.
Locals said Tod had recently moved to the area and was unfamiliar with the surf spot, known as a breeding ground for great white sharks.