Residents of the Sydney area are still in shock.
On Wednesday afternoon, a 35-year-old man, Simon Nellist, who was swimming 150m from the beach at Little Bay, was suddenly grabbed by a nearly 4m great white.
This diving instructor, who was training for a swimming competition, unfortunately could not do anything.
“The shark came out of nowhere, says one of the fishermen who witnessed the scene.
First we heard a scream and then this big white one coming out of the water into the air and hitting the swimmer at breakneck speed.
He literally devoured it on the spot”.
The mutilated body of the swimmer was recovered an hour later by the coast guard.
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The day after the tragedy, local authorities closed several beaches in eastern Sydney and strongly advised people not to go into the water.
Several devices have been put in place to locate the shark and try to drive it away offshore, away from the coast.
“This event has undeniably shaken our community and the people of our region will look at the coast a little differently.
There are always risks in open water, but the main message we want to convey to our community is that shark attacks are exceptionally rare.
This is the first time in many decades that someone has died under these circumstances,” said the mayor of Sydney's Randwick suburb, Dylan Parker.
It is indeed the first fatal attack in the region for 60 years.
Each year, researchers from the International Shark Attack File list shark attacks around the world, making a clear distinction between unprovoked attacks and those that are (for example when a diver attempts contact with the animal).
In 2021, eleven fatal attacks were recorded worldwide, nine of which were considered unprovoked.