Steven Payne, 37, had been visiting Australia when he was attacked while surfing – bystanders who witnessed the attack described hearing screams before a surfboard returned to shore
A “gentle giant” surfer presumed to have been killed in a horror beach shark attack has been pictured for the first time.
Steven Payne, 37, originally from New Zealand, had been on a six-month caravan trip around Australia with his girlfriend when they decided to make a stop at Wharton Beach, near Esperance in Western Australia, on Monday. But as Mr Payne was surfing, a shark attacked him in front of horrified bystanders.
Witnesses claimed to have heard screams and reported seeing nothing but a surfboard floating about 30m out from the shoreline. Mr Payne is suspected to have been killed in the incident but efforts to retrieve his body were called off.
Beachgoer Joscelin Boissieux told local media: “There were screams. There were people saying like ‘get out’, everything – it was a very panicked moment.”
His family has since released a statement adding they are “devastated” and that he was “one of the best.” The statement added: “A gentle giant at 6ft4, he was smart, kind, funny, laid back and very practical.
“While he wasn’t a man of many words, he loved his partner deeply, cherished his family, thought the world of his best mates, and was devoted to his dog.” Mr Payne had been with his partner for 12 years and had adopted dog Poppy seven years ago, according to 9News.
Mr Payne was an avid surfer and rugby player who also volunteered as a firefighter. His family continued in the statement: “Just a week ago, Steve surfed one of the best waves of his life, sharing the wave with a dolphin. He was stoked.”
His death comes amid growing shark culling calls, although Mr Payne’s family said he would not support such a move. They added: “Steve would not support a shark cull or any attempt to kill the shark responsible. He and his partner spent a lot of time in the ocean together, had enjoyed many dives with sharks and knew the risks.”
A Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development spokesman said they had been carrying out white shark tagging during the south coast seal pupping season. Nine white sharks were tagged, including six white sharks off Esperance between November last year and February.
According to the Florida Museum of Natural History’s International Shark Attack File, there were 47 recorded unprovoked shark attack bites in 2024. It added there were 88 total cases around the world.
While nine unprovoked shark bites were recorded in Australia, the US had the highest number that year with 28 such cases. The museum added there were no fatal shark attacks in Australia as a result of unprovoked bites but said there had been one in the US.