Post by Dave Homewood on Feb 27, 2013 16:49:14 GMT 12
Wow!
Shark attack at Muriwai
By Anna Leask Kieran Campbell
Updated 5:05 PM Wednesday Feb 27, 2013
The surf life saving boat chasing the shark away. Photo / Westpac Rescue A witness has described seeing a "huge" shark kill a man off Muriwai Beach on Auckland's west coast this afternoon.
Police have confirmed they shot and hit the shark, believed to be a great white, but said it swam away.
Pio Mose watched the attack unfold about 1.30pm while fishing with a group of men on the rocks between Maori Bay and Muriwai Beach.
He saw the "huge" shark attack a man alone swimming from the bay back to the beach about 50 metres from where he was standing.
"All of a sudden there was blood everywhere."
The man struggled with the shark before it swam away. He was keeping his head above the water before the shark returned.
"I yelled at him to swim to the rocks. There was blood everywhere. The water was red. It's pretty scary."
He said after the second attack three or four other sharks came to the area.
Mr Mose and the other fisherman watched as the shark took the man's body out to sea and when lifeguards eventually arrived they directed them to where the group of sharks were.
The man's body was later retrieved.
"It's awful - it's scary like a nightmare to me. I was shaking, scared, panicked," said Mr Mose.
He said he had never seen sharks in the area in the three years he'd been fishing in that spot.
"All I was thinking was I wanted to jump in the water and help but I didn't want to get attacked by a shark too."
Mr Mose said those who went out to retrieve the man's body fired about six shots at the shark.
POLICE SHOT AT SHARK
Inspector Shawn Rutene confirmed police shot at the shark, measuring about 12-14 feet long, but could not say how many times.
The officer was out on the water in an IRB with three lifeguards - and Mr Rutene said one of them saw a second shark. It was unclear whether the second shark had been involved in the attack.
He said after being shot the shark "rolled away", but refused to say whether it was still attacking the man at the time.
Mr Rutene said the victim was a local man. His family were "devastated" and his wife was being supported by Victim Support and police at the scene.
VICTIM WELL KNOWN TO MURIWAI LIFEGUARDS
Muriwai Volunteer Lifeguard Service chairman Tony Jago fought back tears as he spoke about the fatal incident.
He said the dead man was well known to Muriwai lifeguards - including those who tried desperately to save his life.
Mr Jago would not go into the specific details about what the lifeguards on the IRB with police saw, but he said it was "traumatising".
The lifeguards were young, and were being offered support and counselling.
He said it was unusual for sharks to be at Muriwai, especially one this size.
"This is something completely shocking," he said.
All beaches on Auckland's west coast had been closed until further notice. The shark responsible for the attack had not been located.
"They've got every 'beach closed' sign they can get their hands on," said Mr Jago
GREAT WHITE
Police believe the shark was likely to be a great white.
Dr Malcolm Francis, a NIWA Principal Scientist who studies sharks, told One News that based on the reports it is likely the attack was by a great white shark.
He said there are few other species that grow to 12-foot long - believed to be the length of the Muriwai shark.
He said great whites are known in the area and it is likely the shark mistook the person swimming as a seal.
Muriwai Beach is closed to the public until further notice.
Are you at Muriwai or do you know anything about the incident? Please send your story, photos or video here.
FACT BOX: FATAL SHARK ATTACKS
• The last possible death from a shark attack in New Zealand was in Whangamata in December 2009, when a capsized kayaker was bitten by what was thought to be a great white. A coroner ruled drowning was the cause of death and said it was unknown whether the kayaker was attacked before or after dying.
• The most recent confirmed fatal attack was in 1976, when a spearfisher was killed by what was thought to be a bronze whaler at Te Kaha in the Bay of Plenty.
• Fatal shark attacks are rare, with 15 fatal attacks since records began in 1837.
• Great white sharks are the most common killers. They are responsible for 11 of the fatal attacks in New Zealand in which the species has been identified.
• Other fatal attacks have been carried out by bronze whalers and mako sharks.
• Most victims were swimming, a quarter were snorkelling and the rest were either standing in shallows or surfing.
• Non-fatal shark attacks are relatively common in New Zealand, with one to two every year in recent years.
• Not all shark attacks are recorded. A total of 44 unprovoked non-fatal attacks have been recorded in the last 150 years.
Sources: Te Ara, Department of Conservation, Herald archives
Are you at Muriwai or know anything about the incident? Please send your story, photos or video here.
- nzherald.co.nz, APNZ, NZ Herald
www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10868127
Shark attack at Muriwai
By Anna Leask Kieran Campbell
Updated 5:05 PM Wednesday Feb 27, 2013
The surf life saving boat chasing the shark away. Photo / Westpac Rescue A witness has described seeing a "huge" shark kill a man off Muriwai Beach on Auckland's west coast this afternoon.
Police have confirmed they shot and hit the shark, believed to be a great white, but said it swam away.
Pio Mose watched the attack unfold about 1.30pm while fishing with a group of men on the rocks between Maori Bay and Muriwai Beach.
He saw the "huge" shark attack a man alone swimming from the bay back to the beach about 50 metres from where he was standing.
"All of a sudden there was blood everywhere."
The man struggled with the shark before it swam away. He was keeping his head above the water before the shark returned.
"I yelled at him to swim to the rocks. There was blood everywhere. The water was red. It's pretty scary."
He said after the second attack three or four other sharks came to the area.
Mr Mose and the other fisherman watched as the shark took the man's body out to sea and when lifeguards eventually arrived they directed them to where the group of sharks were.
The man's body was later retrieved.
"It's awful - it's scary like a nightmare to me. I was shaking, scared, panicked," said Mr Mose.
He said he had never seen sharks in the area in the three years he'd been fishing in that spot.
"All I was thinking was I wanted to jump in the water and help but I didn't want to get attacked by a shark too."
Mr Mose said those who went out to retrieve the man's body fired about six shots at the shark.
POLICE SHOT AT SHARK
Inspector Shawn Rutene confirmed police shot at the shark, measuring about 12-14 feet long, but could not say how many times.
The officer was out on the water in an IRB with three lifeguards - and Mr Rutene said one of them saw a second shark. It was unclear whether the second shark had been involved in the attack.
He said after being shot the shark "rolled away", but refused to say whether it was still attacking the man at the time.
Mr Rutene said the victim was a local man. His family were "devastated" and his wife was being supported by Victim Support and police at the scene.
VICTIM WELL KNOWN TO MURIWAI LIFEGUARDS
Muriwai Volunteer Lifeguard Service chairman Tony Jago fought back tears as he spoke about the fatal incident.
He said the dead man was well known to Muriwai lifeguards - including those who tried desperately to save his life.
Mr Jago would not go into the specific details about what the lifeguards on the IRB with police saw, but he said it was "traumatising".
The lifeguards were young, and were being offered support and counselling.
He said it was unusual for sharks to be at Muriwai, especially one this size.
"This is something completely shocking," he said.
All beaches on Auckland's west coast had been closed until further notice. The shark responsible for the attack had not been located.
"They've got every 'beach closed' sign they can get their hands on," said Mr Jago
GREAT WHITE
Police believe the shark was likely to be a great white.
Dr Malcolm Francis, a NIWA Principal Scientist who studies sharks, told One News that based on the reports it is likely the attack was by a great white shark.
He said there are few other species that grow to 12-foot long - believed to be the length of the Muriwai shark.
He said great whites are known in the area and it is likely the shark mistook the person swimming as a seal.
Muriwai Beach is closed to the public until further notice.
Are you at Muriwai or do you know anything about the incident? Please send your story, photos or video here.
FACT BOX: FATAL SHARK ATTACKS
• The last possible death from a shark attack in New Zealand was in Whangamata in December 2009, when a capsized kayaker was bitten by what was thought to be a great white. A coroner ruled drowning was the cause of death and said it was unknown whether the kayaker was attacked before or after dying.
• The most recent confirmed fatal attack was in 1976, when a spearfisher was killed by what was thought to be a bronze whaler at Te Kaha in the Bay of Plenty.
• Fatal shark attacks are rare, with 15 fatal attacks since records began in 1837.
• Great white sharks are the most common killers. They are responsible for 11 of the fatal attacks in New Zealand in which the species has been identified.
• Other fatal attacks have been carried out by bronze whalers and mako sharks.
• Most victims were swimming, a quarter were snorkelling and the rest were either standing in shallows or surfing.
• Non-fatal shark attacks are relatively common in New Zealand, with one to two every year in recent years.
• Not all shark attacks are recorded. A total of 44 unprovoked non-fatal attacks have been recorded in the last 150 years.
Sources: Te Ara, Department of Conservation, Herald archives
Are you at Muriwai or know anything about the incident? Please send your story, photos or video here.
- nzherald.co.nz, APNZ, NZ Herald
www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10868127
