Emotional beach farewell for ‘water angel’ shark attack victim

The heartbroken members of the Bribie Island Surf Life Saving Club have embraced and laid flowers in an emotional beachside tribute to their “water angel” — Charlize Zmuda.

The heartbroken members of the Bribie Island Surf Life Saving Club have embraced and laid flowers in an emotional beachside tribute to their “water angel” — Charlize Zmuda.

The early morning commemoration filled the Mooloolaba Esplanade before Charlize’s sister Stephanie Zmuda, 13, bravely joined hundreds of competitors at the Surf Life Saving Sunshine Coast U11-U14 Youth Championships.

Charlize’s dad Steve Zmuda lovingly wrapped his arms around his wife and youngest daughter as they fronted the crowd and encouraged the tight knit lifesaving community to “stay strong together”.

Steve and Renee Zmuda at a beach tribute for their daughter, Charlize Zmuda. Picture: Patrick Woods.

The tribute was held at a Nippers Surf Competition at Mooloolaba. Picture: Patrick Woods.

Charlize, affectionately known as ‘Cha Cha’, was swimming about 25m off Woorim Beach in waters she regularly swam as a member of the Bribie Island Surf Life Saving Club when she was attacked and killed by the shark on about 4.45pm Monday.

At the Saturday morning service, letters were read out on behalf of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Federal Opposition Leader Peter Dutton while Queensland Premier David Crisafulli sent his apologies, best wishes and condolences.

“As you gather for Charlize the hearts of all Australians are with you, we grieve with the community of Bribie Island, we grieve with the greater family of Surf Life Saving Queensland and we grieve with Charlize’s family. Renee and Steve we hold you in our hearts,” Mr Albanese wrote.

“The immense strength of your grief is the strength of your love … look around you now and what you see in every face is just one measure of how much love Charlize brought into the world.

Wreath Laying for shark attack victim Charlize Zmuda. Picture: Patrick Woods.

Charlize’s father, Steve, with nippers at Mooloolaba beach. Picture: Patrick Woods.

“May the glow of her forever lighten your hearts … May she rest in peace.”

Charlize was well known in the Bribie Island community and was one of the co-captains of her surf club, having been a Nipper from the age of eight.

Mr Dutton’s letter addressed the Nippers community.

“I have a message to the children at nippers here today, Charlize wouldn’t want you to stop swimming at the beach or having fun in the surf,” he wrote.

“That message was reinforced by Charlize’s wonderful father and mother Steve and Renee.

“Charlize is counting on you to put on your sunscreen, to step out with confidence into our exquisite ocean and to swim between the flags and to watch out for your mates.

“If you can do that she will look down from heaven with a smile on your face and you can look back smiling.”

Bribie Island Surf Life Saving Club members then embraced as they placed bright single flowers in the water while representatives for SLSQ offered two red and yellow wreaths.

The commemoration concluded with a minute of silence followed by three cheers for Bribie Island.

It was an emotional tribute on the beach. Picture: Patrick Woods.

The tribute took place at a Nipper’s competition. Picture: Patrick Woods.

Charlize’s father Steve Zmuda bravely fronted media less than 24 hours after the 17-year-old was killed as he wanted the community to “feel confident and safe in the water”.

Speaking on Saturday morning, Mr Zmuda said the entire lifesaving community “must stay strong together”.

“Everybody knows here what happened on Monday afternoon at our local beach,” he said.

“The messages of support from every club and all people involved with the lifesaving movement, not just on the Sunshine Coast but nationally, has blown me away.”

Mr Zmuda has described the fatal attack as a “freak accident”.

“(Charlize) truly lived without fear and despite the tragic circumstances of her death I know she would want this to remind everyone that tomorrow is not promised and encourage people to get out of their comfort zones and truly live. I can feel her saying ‘Yolo’,” Charlize’s mother Renee Zmuda previously told The Courier-Mail.

Wreath laying at Mooloolaba beach. Picture: Patrick Woods.

Surf Lifesavers wore badges for Charlize. Picture: Patrick Woods.

Surf Life Saving Queensland (SLSQ) CEO Dave Whimpey said Saturday’s carnival was “for Charlize”.

“The whole of Australia and indeed the whole of the lifesaving movement has been brought to its knees this week,” he said.

“But we are a strong movement based on mateship and community and the love and messages from the red and yellow is what will carry us all through, it certainly got me through this week, and I know the Zmuda family and the Bribie Surf Life Saving Club has truly felt this too.”

Mr Whimpey said SLSQ has been “completely overwhelmed” with thousands of messages.

“I told Renee this morning we have had over 10,000 messages and I’ve read every single one of them,” he said.

Steve and Renee Zmuda with daughter Stephanie Zmuda. Picture: Patrick Woods.

“Charlize’s legacy is now immortalised in the history of lifesaving and her message for today to all of you is this: ‘Love the environment we live in, kids, don’t walk past a piece of rubbish on the beach, pick it up as Char would have … live life daily and hug your friends tightly a little more tightly today … be a little kinder from this moment on to your mum and dad to your sister and brothers and for today, especially to your coaches and team captains.”

Mr Whimpey said in one of the letters Charlize was described as a “water angel”.

“A young lady, a beautiful lady with everything before her and everything to live for … she is beautiful and she was an earth child and now she is our water angel … she will be watching over us today,” the letter read.

“Cha, our commitment is to live and serve better in your memory … you’d be humbled, maybe even embarrassed by the outpouring but you were so special it makes perfect sense.”