Beachport shark bite victim Pam Cook’s family friend was taken by a great white

Beachport shark attack victim Pam Cook has given details of her surgery and recovery as she reveals a family friend was killed by a great white.

A family friend of shark attack victim Pam Cook was taken by a five-metre great white, almost two decades before her own horror incident in Beachport.

Ms Cook revealed to 7NEWS on Wednesday that she was a family friend of Jarrod Stehbens, who grew up in Beachport and was killed by a shark at Glenelg in August 2005.

In 2008, researcher Justin Rowntree appeared in the Coroner’s Court where he described the fatal Great White attack.

“It went straight towards Jarrod, initially he whacked it directly on the snout and it seemed to go away momentarily,” Mr Rowntree said.

“Then it came back and took his leg and dragged him under … it happened like a flash.”

Ms Cook’s husband Greg, 66, told The Advertiser his wife sustained “a bite on her right ankle and her right thigh”, which resulted in five-and-a-half hours of surgery at Mount Gambier hospital on Monday night.

She revealed on Wednesday her surgery had required more than 200 stitches.

Beachport shark attack survivor Pam Cook. Picture: Facebook

Jarrod Stehbens was taken by shark while conducting scientific investigations off Glenelg beach in 2005.

The shark attack survivor, Ms Cook, thanked her community for an outpouring of support following the horror incident which left her requiring surgery.

Ms Cook, 64, was seriously injured when a suspected juvenile great white shark attacked her during a daily swim with a dozen friends near Beachport jetty, at 7.45am Monday.

In post to social media, hundreds of wellwishers, friends and family responded as Ms Cook thanked the Beachport District Development Association, which sent her flowers, while giving an update on her recovery in hospital.

Ms Cook also wrote on Wednesday that she was “hopefully” going to be out of her hospital bed and walking, with the aid of a physiotherapist, for the first time since the incident.

An SA grandmother has told 7NEWS she thought she was being pranked moments before she was attacked by a great white shark. 7NEWS Adelaide at 6pm | https://t.co/i7rp3INome@msariovski#7NEWSpic.twitter.com/hlmXWNW0aI

— 7NEWS Adelaide (@7NewsAdelaide) October 4, 2023

Ms Cook’s son Hayden also took to social media, describing his mum as “one tough cookie”.

“On behalf of my family and I, we want to thank everyone for their care and support these last few days it has meant a lot to us,” he wrote.
Hayden thanked the Beachport Sea Urchins and Slugs, the group she was swimming with at the time of the incident, for their “quick thinking and calmness”.

He also expressed gratitude to first responders including jetty workers who were at the scene, paramedics and police.

“Support is really special knowing Pam was in great hands,” Hayden said.

Greg Cook with his wife Pam, who was bitten by a shark at Beachport on Monday. Picture: Supplied

Ms Cook now faces “a long road ahead”, he said.

“We know that with everyone’s support she will make a full recovery and be back doing things she loves in the blink of an eye.

“Although it may be a little while before she jumps back in the water, maybe we can get her to take up running instead!”

Ms Cook was only 120 metres offshore when the shark attacked her.

Her husband told The Advertiser on Tuesday how his wife pulled herself out of the water and up a ladder on the jetty, despite her injuries, to prevent the shark from causing more damage.

He praised the other “heroic” swimmers who were with Pam during the incident.

“For the other girls to stay in the water and help Pam, that’s pretty heroic,” Mr Cook said.