Gold Coast shark attack: Witness Jade Parker describes what happened when Nick Slater tragically killed
A basketball-sized bite mark was left in the board of the surfer fatally attacked by a shark yesterday, according to the witness who pulled him from the water.
Gold Coast
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A BASKETBALL-sized bite mark was left in the board of the surfer fatally attacked by a shark Tuesday, according to the witness who pulled him from the water.
Jade Parker, a Coolangatta resident, was surfing at Greenmount Beach yesterday when 46-year-old Miami man Nick Slater was fatally attacked.
The carpenter was walking to the beach after work on Tuesday afternoon when he spotted the injured surfer floating in the water.
“It was like any other day, I like to get a quick surf in after work and heard it was a good day for it.
“When I got there, I was making my way down to the beach from home and people were pointing at him and something just clicked, I thought, I have to get out there,” Mr Parker said.
The surfer ran from the footpath into the water, making his way to the unconscious man.
“He was floating with his head on his board where the waves were breaking, he wasn’t moving,” he said.
“I felt like I was ages away, I didn’t know to jog or run because, at that moment, I didn’t know what was wrong with him,”
“I think he was surfing alone, but when you are out there is isn’t like others are around,”
“It was surreal, no one knew it was a shark attack, people were still surfing and swimming into shore when I was running out,” Mr Parker said.
The 39-year-old said he only understood that an attack had happened when he saw the major bite mark on the man’s leg.
“When I first spotted the board with his body, birds were diving in the area,” he said.
“There was a lot of splashing so I think maybe there were sharks there following the fish and he was somehow unlucky to be hit.
“But honestly at that point I dint think it was a shark attack until I got to him in the water.”
“Another surfer was there when I made it to him and a surf lifesaver was on the outside of us almost as a shield as we moved the man in.”
“We all just kind of got to shore as best we could.
“He was still attached to the board by the leg rope.
“After we got to shore I saw the board had a good bite out of it, the size of about a basketball with a tooth still lodged in the fibreglass, it was an obvious white pointer tooth.”
Mr Parker described the tooth as 5cm long with serrated edges.
“He was there on the sand and was out of it, he was very pale, it was very obvious what had happened by that stage, he had a lot of damage to his leg,” Mr Parker said.
“We put a tourniquet around it, but at that stage it looked like he had lost a lot of blood.”
Despite facing the horrific scenes and suffering from a rough nights sleep after the attack Mr Parker said he was shaken, but won’t be deterred from surfing long term.
“I will most likely back in the water in a few days or so.”
“It is just unfortunate. I have spotted sharks in the water before but it is very rare,” he said.
“Usually you just see the dolphins or fish coming and going.
“You generally feel pretty safe.”
Originally from Margaret River in Western Australia Mr Parker said sharks were part of life when you spend time in the water.
“I have had a few close encounters myself, a few have gone under me and spooked me so it is scary when it happens definitely.”
“The whole idea that a shark was trying to single him out is not realistic, there were plenty of fish in the area.
“I guess as a surfer you tend to put it out of your mind, but this will be with me for a while.”
Mr Parker said he would like to see wetsuit technology which can prevent a shark penetrating the material.
“Surfers are not going to stop surfing any time soon and there are always going to be sharks in the water. I think something people can wear will have a better hope of protecting surfers than nets or hooks.”
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk on Wednesday praised the heroic efforts of those who attempted to save Mr Slater’s life and said they were worth of nomination for bravery awards.
“I also believe those who went to the aid of this man after he was attacked are heroes,” she said.
“Reports from the scene indicate that they include life savers, lifeguards, members of the Greenmount Surf Club and passers-by.
‘The courage to run into the surf moments after a shark attack is beyond admirable.
“I think those people are worthy of nomination for bravery awards.”
Originally published as Gold Coast shark attack: Witness Jade Parker describes what happened when Nick Slater tragically killed