SHARK ATTACK
Surfer, 60, mauled to death by 10ft great white shark as two heroes fought off the beast latched onto his thigh
A SURFER was today mauled to death by a 10ft great white shark off the coast of Australia.
The 60-year-old man, named locally as Rob Pedretti, was bitten on the back of his thigh before two heroes eventually managed to fight off the shark.
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He was brought to the shore by other surfers off Salt Beach in South Kingscliff, New South Wales, just after 10am on Sunday.
The tradesman, from Tugun, Queensland, was given first aid but sadly died on the beach.
Cops confirmed the shark had been sighted on a "number of occasions" before the attack. Officers later said he suffered "catastrophic" injuries and died on the beach.
SHARK ATTACK
Tweed-Byron police inspector Matt Kehoe said: “The actions of those people was nothing short of heroic in making every attempt to save this gentleman.
“Those two males had to fight off the shark and we’ll certainly be recognising their actions at a later stage for their heroic nature.
“They got him on one of the boards and tried to stabilise him and take him to shore.
“Sadly, he was deceased at the scene. He suffered a significant bite to his left thigh.
“It was a catastrophic injury and he was deceased when he was brought to shore, despite the efforts of those two gentlemen. They did everything they could to save him.
“It’s terrible – terrible for his family and obviously quite difficult for the emergency services that atte
nded the scene.”
The shark has been sighted on a number of occasions just off the shore.
Detective Inspector Matt Kehoe
In a Facebook tribute, one pal described Mr Pedretti as a “humble, ocean-loving soul”.
"(He) surfed a lot, travelled a lot … a lone ranger.";
Another friend added that "Robbo" was a "champion bloke, nicest guy you would ever meet".
He added: "Apparently the boys tried to fight the shark off but he didn’t make it to the beach in time."
A shark biologist assessed photographs and confirmed a white shark was responsible for the fatal attack, the state's Department of Primary Industries said.
Mr Kehoe added: "The shark has been sighted on a number of occasions just off the shore."
New South Wales Ambulance Inspector Terence Savage said it was a dreadful situation for everyone involved.
DIED ON BEACH
He said: "When you get a call to attend a shark attack, you never really know the full extent of the damage until you get on scene
"They did everything they could to try and save his life, but despite their best efforts, were unable to do so."
Nearby beaches were cleared of swimmers and surfers and will remain closed for 24 hours.
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Kingscliff resident Stuart Gonsal had just arrived at the beach ready for a surf, when he found out about the fatal attack.
He added: “We came down and we hadn’t got in the water and police were immediately hauling people in.
"We found out there was a fatal shark attack on the south side of the rock wall. We were going to get in, were not going to now for sure."
It was the third fatal shark attack in Australia this year.
In January, a diver was killed near Esperance off the Western Australia state coast. In April, a shark fatally mauled a 23-year-old wildlife worker on the Great Barrier Reef.
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