Margaret River surfers on edge after shark attack on prized home ‘safe’ break

The Margaret River surf community is on edge after Monday’s shark attack on a 24-year-old NSW man at the popular Boat Ramps break off Gnarabup. The young surfer’s narrow escape from a great white also took place at what local surfers considered the safest break in the big-wave region. Numerous surfers told the Times the attack had sparked great unease and even reignited talks of culling the feared ocean predators. There was also dissatisfaction with the local shark response, with a beach siren at Gnarabup not triggered until an hour after Monday’s incident and after beaches across the region were closed. Margaret River Recreational Surfers president Jim Ross said the incident again highlighted the need for a dedicated local rescue service. Margaret River Boardriders’ Kalani Ord told the Times local surfers were “really shaken”. “It’s frightening because we’ve grown somewhat accustomed to hearing about shark encounters up the coast, but this time it hit too close to home,” he said. “We all surf there and have loved ones who do too. “The mood among us now is a mixture of trepidation and unease. “It is a harsh reminder of the risks we take doing what we love.” Those sentiments were echoed by veteran surfer Tony Breen, who owns The Common Bistro near the attack site. “This one hits way harder than any of the others,” he said. “The false security blanket has been ripped off. “I’m not going to be able to calm my nerves when I’m out the back anymore by telling myself ‘at least I’m not at Gracetown’.” Other surfers lauded the bravery of the survivor and keeping calm under intense pressure. White Elephant Cafe owner Alex Brooks, a keen surfer who was on-site after the incident, said each new attack sent waves through the surfing community. “This one is very close to home and challenges the self-propagated belief or the false sense of security that they don’t exist, let alone attack in Prevelly,” Mr Brooks said. “At the end of the day, we share the water with these creatures and you tell yourself what you need to so as to feel safe, albeit more often than not that’s false.” Margaret River Recreational Surfers committee member Bec Sheedy-Ryan said first-aid and ocean safety training was more crucial than ever, and reiterated calls for State Government funding. “I know myself as well as other surfers I spoke with yesterday (Monday) had mentally almost considered the Prevelly stretch as a relatively ‘safe’ zone, so yesterday’s incident pretty well swipes that belief away,” she said. Ms Sheedy-Ryan urged fellow surfers to go into the water with awareness and carry a tourniquet as part of their surf kit. “I think we could really improve some of the infrastructure that we already have in place like the shark alarms that we have at the beach,” she said. “We need an override set up to immediately and clearly be able to communicate with other ocean users that a shark incident has occurred, especially if they are already in the water.” Other surfers praised the survivor’s coolness under fire, especially using his leg rope to tourniquet his wound while still in the vicinity of the shark.