Girl, 17, killed by massive shark that ripped off her leg while she surfed with her dad – who carried her back to shore and fought to save her
Laeticia Brouwer was surfing with her dad off the south coast of Western Australia when the shark attacked
THE teen surfer who died after a monster shark ripped off her leg has been named as 17-year-old Laeticia Brouwer.
Laeticia, also known as Teesh, was surfing with her dad off the south coast of Western Australia when the shark struck and pulled her under the water.
After hearing her screams, her dad paddled over and dragged her to the shore before frantically trying “everything he could to save her”.
Laeticia’s mum and two sisters also watched in horror from the beach at Kelp Beds, near Esperance, as the shark mauled the 17-year-old on Easter Monday.
Both her parents and a nurse performed CPR on the teenager while they waited 19 minutes for the paramedics to arrive.
Dramatic pictures show paramedics battling to save the teen before she was rushed to a waiting air ambulance.
But Laeticia died in hospital after losing a large amount of blood.
reported she lost her leg in the attack along a coastline known for encounters with great white sharks.
Police officer Ben Jeffes said Laeticia’s father “tried everything he could to save his daughter”.
The teen’s devastated family, from Mandurah, WA, said they have taken some comfort from the fact she died “doing something that she loved”.
Steve Evans, the girl’s uncle, said: “We can take comfort that Laeticia died doing something that she loved.
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“The ocean was her and her family’s passion. Surfing was something that she treasured doing with her dad and her sisters.”
The area is notorious for great white sharks sightings, news.com.au reported.
Australia has averaged fewer than two deadly shark attacks per year in recent decades.
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