Touching tributes to teen killed by shark while surfing

Tributes have been etched into a remote beach where a beloved teen was killed by a shark while surfing.

Touching tributes have been etched into a remote beach on South Australia’s York Peninsula where a beloved teen was killed by a shark while surfing.

Emergency services were called to Ethel Beach at Innes National Park, 280km from Adelaide, about 1.30pm on Thursday after reports of a shark attack.

Police said the body of the 15-year-old boy was pulled from the waters, with detectives and crime scene investigators later brought to the scene.

The teenager has since been revealed as Adelaide boy Khai Cowley, who is understood to have been killed while his father was present at the beach.

Surfer Khai Cowley was fatally attacked by a shark at Ethel Beach. Picture: Instagram

Large love heart shapes were seen in the sand at the beach on Friday after news of the teen surfer’s death was revealed by family and his Adelaide surf club.

Locals told The Advertiser they had gone to the remote beach to pay their respects to the Maslin Beach teen and his family who were well-known surfers.

“They’re (the family) very well known in the surf community, which just makes this news so much more tragic,” Port Noarlunga local Luke Winter said.

Sean Hanna also told The Advertiser it was clear that Khai had a “love of surfing”. defying difficult conditions and white water on Thursday.

“This isn’t going to stop people getting in the ocean, we all know what we’re getting into when we enter their territory,” Mr Hanna said.

Khai’s aunt, Lauryn Barley, wrote on a GoFundMe campaign set up for Khai’s family that the teen had been “suddenly taken … by a white pointer at Ethel Wreck”.

“I’m here to try help raise funds for my sister, Kate, and brother, Tim, to cover the cost of the funeral service. Any donations will be most appreciated,” she said.

The account has since raised more than $21,000 in 11 hours, with mourner Imbi Mudie writing: “RIP Khai, will be sadly missed buddy.”

A heart drawn on the sand at Ethel Beach. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Ben Clark

Luke Mills and Charlotte Adlington at Ethel Beach after Khai’s death. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Ben Clark

Members of the Seaview Road Boardriders, of which Khai was reportedly a part, took to social media following the mews to mourn the late teen.

“Doesn’t even feel real,” one young member wrote. “Words can’t describe how much we are all gonna miss you. RIP.”

Another wrote: “Rest easy, you will be missed”. One person also wrote: “Fly high Khai, lots of love and already missing you.”

A sign warning of debris from the Ethel, a ruined ship from which the beach gets its name. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Ben Clark

The beach is located about six hours from Adelaide. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Ben Clark

Many others simply shared links to the GoFundMe campaign”.

South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas told the Today show on Friday that he “couldn’t think of anything more horrific” as details emerged about the death.

“Particularly at this time of year … Family getting together. It’s pretty brutal. And, naturally, our thoughts go out to the family, (they are) good people,” Mr Malinauskas said.

“A young fellow, surfing, pristine environment. Unfortunately, this is something we’ve seen a couple of times over the course of this summer.

Members of the Seaview Road Boardriders paid tribute to Khai online. picture: Instagram,

Many expressed their dismay at the loss. Picture: Instagram

“It sends a very clear message (that) if you are surfing, particularly in those outer reaches of the state where there’s a degree of isolation, that you have to try and be wary.”

Mr Malinauskas said he believed there was little that could have been done to prevent the attack, the fifth in SA and the third death in the state this year.

Khai is understood to have been a member of the Seaview Road Boardriders. Picture: Instagram

The death was mourned by Surfing SA in a statement on Thursday. Picture: Facebook

“The bulk of these incidents occurring well far away from our metropolitan beaches. This particular location is at least a five or six-hour drive from Adelaide,” he said.

“We’ve got a coastline in South Australia that’s basically the equivalent of NSW and Victoria combined. It’s impossible to net an entire area.

“The reality is there are sharks along our coastline, around the southern part of our nation.

South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas has mourned the ‘brutal’ killing of a 15-year-old surfer. Picture: Nine

“When people venture out, particularly where they go quite far away from the shore line, there is a risk associated with that.

“But we’ve seen 11 fatal shark attacks in South Australia since the year 2000, so the fact we’ve seen three across this summer is startling and it is of concern.”

Surfing SA, the state’s peak surfing body, said on Friday it was devastated to learn Khai, a “grom surfer”, was involved in a fatal incident at Ethel Beach.

“We have been keeping Khai’s family and friends in our thoughts,” they said.

“Khai was very involved in our surfing community with his passion for surfing stemming from a family with deep surfing roots in SA.

“He was a happy, kind and respectful kid, very much loved by his surfing peers and he will be greatly missed out in our community and on the water.”

The post, which was reacted to by Surfing WA, also encouraged mourners to contribute to the GoFundMe account.

Khai is understood to have been a talented surfer. Picture: Facebook

His death as mourned by the state’s surfing community. Picture; Instagram

As the community began to mourn on Friday, details also started to emerge about the horror attack at the beach, which is popular among surfers.

Local residents told The Advertiser on Thursday that the teen, who is believed to have been an experienced paddleboarder, was bitten in the leg by the shark.

“The shark took his leg, and so another local guy ran out, jumped on his board and paddled out to help him,” one local told the Adelaide paper.

“The shark was circling them as the guy pulled the boy out of the water. There was a lot of blood. He brought him to shore but I think it was too late by then.”

Police were called to a shark attack at Ethel Beach at 1.30pm on Thursday. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Ben Clark

The remote surf site has reportedly surged with summer holidaymakers. Picture: Google Maps

The teen is understood to have been at Ethel Beach on a day trip from Adelaide and usually surfed at Seaford on the state’s mid coast. His father was also present.

The sighting of a shark and the subsequent attack were reported being about 30m from shore by tracking site Dorsal, though the size of the shark is unknown.

A local fishing charter operator said the remote area was often frequented by big sharks, namely at Marion Bay, around the cape from Innes Beach.

Outdoor educator O’Reilley Grey said he had ‘never come across anything like this’. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Ben Clark

They went on to reveal that the access roads to the remote swimming spot had been closed after the attack and that there was no reception until Marion Bay.

Local business owners, meanwhile, said it was the first attack they had heard of as the population balloons by “tenfold” over the summer holidays.

“People come down here to get away and reset … I’ve never come across anything like this when I’m out working with kids,” outdoor educator O’Reilly Gray said.

The attack is the latest in a string of horror deaths in South Australia, including a 55-year-old surfer Tod Gendle who was killed on the Eyre Peninsula in October.

In May, Elliston Primary School teacher, Simon Baccanello, 43, was surfing at Walkers Rock near Elliston when he is believed to have been killed by a shark.

The attack also comes as holidaymakers across the country descend on the nation’s beaches, despite a string of deaths and drownings, namely in NSW.

On Thursday, swimmers were ordered out of the water at world-famous Bondi Beach at 6.30pm after a shark alarm was triggered at the busy swim spot.