The Perth beach where a swimmer was fatally attacked by a great white shark was not patrolled at the time of the attack while Perth's spotter helicopter was scouring beaches about 80 kilometres away.
Key points:
- Surf lifesavers were on duty at nearby Leighton Beach but not at Port Beach
- Beaches in the area have reopened to swimmers
- WA's shark mitigation strategy is "the most comprehensive" Roger Cook says
Paul Millachip, 57, was attacked during his regular morning swim at Port Beach on Saturday, and beaches in the area were immediately closed for the weekend. They reopened to the public on Monday.
Deputy Premier Roger Cook said the location of surf lifesaver patrols would be considered in the wake of the incident, with Port Beach unpatrolled on the day of the attack while Leighton, about two kilometres north, had lifesavers rostered on duty.
"We'll look at all those elements and make sure that we can understand how we can better respond," he said.
Mr Millachip was swimming about 50 metres off the coast when the shark attacked, near a group of young people on a boat who saw the encounter unfold and reportedly tried to help him.
They quickly alerted emergency services as well as those in the water to what had happened, earning praise from authorities and beachgoers.
The beaches were reopened at about 7:30am Monday, with a warning from Surf Life Saving WA that "beach users are advised to remain vigilant".
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Shark mitigation strategies defended
Speaking on Monday morning, Deputy Premier Roger Cook defended the state government's approach to ocean safety.
He pointed to the state's shark monitoring system, the SharkSmart app, and incentives for people to purchase shark deterrents.
"We've got a range of programs which are rolling out, the most comprehensive in the country, and we'll continue to make sure that we bring all those elements together as part of a coherent and comprehensive strategy," he said.
Mr Cook pledged to look into what had happened, and said his "heart and condolences" went to Mr Millachip's family.
"It's still early days and obviously everyone's shocked and everyone is still trying to comprehend what is obviously a dreadful and terrible tragedy," he said.
"But we need to continue to learn from these experiences and make sure that we can do everything that is possible and appropriate to keep people safe."
Helicopter 80 kilometres away at time of attack
Chris Peck, general manager of Surf Life Saving WA, said the Westpac Life Saver Rescue helicopter was on patrol but scouring beaches about 80 kilometres away from Fremantle at the time of the shark attack.
“On the day of the incident when it's Saturday, it was actually doing a patrol down to Port Bouvard, when it became aware of the incident it immediately reported back to Port beach to assist in the search for the individual,” he said.
Mr Peck said volunteer lifesavers were not at Port beach, as they are usually stationed at Leighton Beach.
"On that particular Saturday it [Port Beach] wasn’t under patrol," he said.
"As soon as they became aware of the incident, they deployed land and water assets … and the remaining members at Leighton Beach made other beachgoers aware of the incident."
He said no one initiative alone would fix the issue.
"It's really important that the community understand that there needs to be a multi-layered approach," he said.
"Aerial surveillance is important, detection methodologies are important, and also the responses that we provide. But there are other things people can do such as taking up the option of personal deterrent devices and also where you can, swimming at patrolled beaches."
Regular swimmers cautiously return
The Port Beach Polar Bears are a group of swimmers who have been braving the surf at Port Beach early each morning for decades.
Some of the group's members returned on Monday morning, including Gary Worthington.
"I think we should be called the meerkats this morning," he told ABC Radio Perth.
"Everybody's looking around, everybody's in shallow water.
"And probably only half the people, if that, this morning [are] having a swim."
Mr Worthington has been swimming at Port for about 15 years and said most people who took to the ocean understood the risks.
"We think about it all the time," he said.
"All my friends, they always have a go at me and there's a few that have sent emails to me, telling me not to swim.
"But it's in your blood and we love it, all for different reasons."
Jo was another swimmer taking to the water on Monday.
"It's taken the wind out of the sail of quite a few of the ones that come every morning, and it will take some time for them to get their nerve back," she said.
"It's our life and it's our home down here.
"We do this all year round. It's a beautiful beach and it's not going to stop us."
https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiZGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmFiYy5uZXQuYXUvbmV3cy8yMDIxLTExLTA4L3NoYXJrLWF0dGFjay1wYXVsLW1pbGxhY2hpcC1wZXJ0aC1iZWFjaC11bnBhdHJvbGxlZC8xMDA1NDQ5NzjSAShodHRwczovL2FtcC5hYmMubmV0LmF1L2FydGljbGUvMTAwNTQ0OTc4?oc=5
2021-11-08 08:03:45Z
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