A shark sighting on popular Maroubra Beach in Sydney, Australia sparked scenes of terror as people rushed from the waters amid fears of a potential attack on humans
Tourists enjoying a dip in the sea in Sydney were sent scurrying after reports a shark had been spotted in the waters, amid a local heatwave.
Swimmers were ordered out of the water at around 2.30pm local time in Maroubra Beach in Australia. Pictures from the scene showed several people standing at the water’s edge, in case a shark was stalking the coastline popular with tourists.
The beach had been packed as people attempted to cool down amid a local heatwave and 31C temperatures. Those in the sea at the time quickly got out as the shark alarm sounded, 7NEWS reported.
Earlier this year a surfer who disappeared off the coast of South Australia was believed to have died in a shark attack, according to authorities. Lance Appleby was in the water catching the surf at the popular Granites Beach site, near the coastal town of Streaky Bay.
As the 28-year-old was enjoying the waves, horror struck as witnesses reported seeing him being attacked. One witness rushed into the water on a jet ski to retrieve Lance’s surfboard, but there was no sign of the surfer, according to senior constable Rebecca Stokes.
Initial reports of the attack came in just after 7pm local time on Thursday evening, with emergency services searching the area before returning the next day. Moving tributes were paid to the surfer and footballer, with friends describing him as a “loved character” and a “bloody champion man”.
Fellow Streaky Bay resident and commercial fisherman Jeff Schmucker said: “Lance has lots of cousins, I’m personally close to these guys. I grew up next to his mum and my youngest daughter went to school with Lance in the same class all throughout their childhood in Streaky Bay.
“Every shark attack is tragic but this has hit the community right in the heart.”
In January the carcass of a massive shark was discovered washed ashore on a British beach, as an investigation was launched by experts to find out how it died. The two-and-a-half metre thresher shark was discovered at about 8am on New Year’s Day on Par beach, Cornwall.
Described as “shy and harmless” to humans, the large fish cross through UK waters during migrations – usually in the summer months. Teams from Cornwall Wildlife Trust later collected the body and plan on conducting an autopsy to determine the cause of death. The species is classified as endangered in European waters by the IUCN Red List.
The trust said in a statement: “Initial assessments suggest the shark had experienced significant trauma, likely caused by line-caught sport fishing. Bycatch remains a major threat to ocean wildlife.”
