Chilling photos emerge of shark bite left on Nick Slater’s surfboard

As authorities pull in a third shark from the water after the fatal attack on a keen surfer, photos of his damaged surfboard have emerged.

Chilling images of Nick Slater’s surfboard show the sheer size of the animal that killed the Gold Coast surfer.

Photos from Channel 9 show the indentation left by the shark’s jaw when the animal attacked Mr Slater, which resulted in fatal injuries to his leg.

The shark lost a tooth in the attack, which was later found lodged in the board.

Nick Slater's surfboard shows the mammoth bite of the shark that killed him. Picture: Channel 9

It comes as a third shark is pulled from the water as authorities hunt for the killer.

Gold Coast beaches reopened on Thursday after Mr Slater was fatally wounded by off Greenmount Beach on Tuesday afternoon.

Despite the efforts of other surfers, lifeguards and paramedics, Mr Slater was pronounced dead on the sand.

A fellow surfer brought Mr Slater’s board back to shore, shocked to find a tooth still lodged in it.

The tooth of the shark that attacked surfer Nick Slater was lodged in his surfboard. Photo: Channel 7

A photo of the tooth indicated the shark was about 45mm long and 30mm wide and most likely belonged to a 3.5m great white shark, a Department of Fisheries official told NCA NewsWire.

Jade Parker, who found Mr Slater face down in the water, told media on Wednesday it was clear to him Mr Slater had been killed by a great white shark.

He told Sunrise he had retrieved the board, finding the tooth still lodged in the board’s fibreglass.

“The tooth had snapped off in the board itself,” he said.

“It was obvious it was a white pointer.”

Authorities have captured three sharks since the attack on Tuesday afternoon, but have yet to confirm which animal killed Nick Slater. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Steve Holland

Beaches were closed on Wednesday as authorities patrolled the coastline via jetski, police boat and helicopter to find the attacker.

A 3.4m tiger shark was pulled on to a Department of Fisheries boat from a drum line off Greenmount Beach on Thursday morning, at 7.30am.

It comes after Queensland Fisheries said two sharks were caught on a drum line and in a shark net near Greenmount Beach in the hours after the attack.

“There was a 3.3 metre tiger shark alive on a Shark Control Program drum line at North Kirra,” a spokesman said in a statement.

A two-metre tiger shark was found in a net at Currumbin.

Both animals were euthanised and taken offshore.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk told parliament on Wednesday two sharks had been euthanised after the attack. Photo: NCA NewsWire/Dan Peled

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said further investigations would reveal whether either of the animals had been responsible for the incident.

Fisheries Minister Mark Furner said authorities regularly checked the shark control equipment.

“The location has had shark control equipment in place since 1968 and has eight drum lines and one net. These were checked yesterday morning, as they are on a regular basis,” Mr Furner said on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, The Courier-Mail has revealed there are just two kilometres of shark netting to protect a 57km coastline.

There are only 27 shark nets at Queensland beaches, along with almost 400 baited drum lines.

Tuesday’s fatality was the first of its kind in 62 years on a Gold Coast beach.

Floral tributes have been placed at Greenmount Beach, the site of the Gold Coast’s first fatal shark attack in more than 60 years. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Steve Holland

A close friend of the Gold Coast real estate agent said Mr Slater “wouldn’t want to see the animal destroyed”.

Adrian Southern told Today he would remember his friend as a “fun-loving guy with a heart of gold”.

Gold Coast shark victim Nick Slater ‘loved surfing’.

“Our common ground was our love of surfing, but Nick was so very passionate about him,” Mr Southern said.

“I was devastated to hear the news … it was very unlucky, there were about 60 surfers in the water. It could have been anyone out there.”

Authorities continue to patrol Gold Coast waters looking for the shark that killed Mr Slater. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Steve Holland

The state’s shark control program has been a divisive issue since it was introduced in the 1960s; however, Tuesday’s attack was the first fatal shark attack since 1958.

Mr Southern said Mr Slater was “fully aware of the environment he was playing within”.

“Nick wouldn’t want to see the shark hunted in that respect … it’s only the second attack that’s occurred in those protected beaches,” he said.

“It’s very unusual. But I don’t think he’d necessarily want the shark to be destroyed.”