By Lucy Macken
A paddleout tribute organised to commemorate the recent death of shark victim Mercury Psillakis at Dee Why was always expected to draw a big crowd, but even organisers were surprised when more than 1000 surfers took to the water on Saturday.
The surfing community’s traditional ceremony extended across Dee Why and Long Reef beaches and was watched by crowds as the Psillakis family, friends and the larger surfing community came together on the same surf break where the 57-year-old was killed three weeks ago.
Surfers pay tribute to a beloved local, Mercury Psillakis, on Saturday.Credit: Max Mason-Hubers
Mercury’s twin brother, Mike, was at the centre or the paddleout.Credit: Channel Nine
Mourners watch from the shoreline.Credit: Max Mason-Hubers
Psillakis, known as “Merc”, has been praised for his bravery in the moments before he died. Having spotted the adolescent great white shark, he warned surfers near him to form a huddle to make their way out of the water, while remaining at the back of the huddle. His board was bitten in half and he lost both his legs.
“We were expecting about 1000 people here, but I’m sure, as you can see from the aerial footage, that the paddleout was chockers,” said Long Reef Boardriders club president Tash Gee.
Traditionally, surfers take flowers out to the surf, but because Psillakis loved palms, the club asked everyone to take a palm frond out instead.
“A paddleout is a traditional Hawaiian ceremony to farewell a fellow waterman or waterwoman, and we’ve adopted that here in Australia,” said Gee.
“It was a really sombre event, but also full of everyone cheering. It’s a celebration, not a mournful event.”
Psillakis has been described as a “keystone” of the local surfing community after decades of involvement alongside his twin brother, Mike, who was in the middle of Saturday’s paddleout.
Friends of the Psillakis family have organised a GoFundMe page for Psillakis’ widow, Maria, and their daughter, Freedom, for which almost $150,000 has already been raised.
Crowds of people holding palm fronds instead of the traditional flowers. Credit: Max Mason-Hubers
Mike Psillakis surfs to shore. Credit: Max Mason-Hubers
The day after the attack, Premier Chris Minns paused a trial to remove shark nets from three beaches across Greater Sydney, in the Northern Beaches, Waverley and Central Coast councils.
“Given this terrible event, we believe the right thing to do is to wait for the investigation to come back about how this happened, what happened and the circumstances surrounding it,” Minns said at the time.
“It did happen on a netted beach ... but I want to get the information in front of us, so we can make a decision.”
The Department of Primary Industries is yet to release a formal report on the fatal shark attack on Psillakis. However, scientists confirmed the shark was estimated to be 3.4 metres to 3.6 metres long, based on an assessment of the surfboard.
The NSW government spends more than $21 million annually on its shark management program, with nets installed each year at 51 beaches between Newcastle and Wollongong from the start of September.
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