4.2m great white: Surfer killed in shark attack at Streaky Bay on SA’s west coast

As the search resumes on SA’s west coast for the killer great white, witnesses have described how they watched in horror as the giant predator savaged a 55-year-old man.

Shocked witnesses have told how a “f**king monster” great white shark killed a 55-year-old male surfer in a frenzied attack near Granite Rock, close to Streaky Bay, on Tuesday.

They watched in horror as the giant predator savaged the man about 10.20am, dragging him under water.

Veteran surfer Jeff Schmucker, who was circled by the 4.2m shark on his jetski, said the victim was attacked from the side – and never stood a chance.

“He went under once and came up again and that was the last time (he was seen),” he told 7NEWS.

Mr Schmucker arrived at the surf spot within 60 seconds of the attack and jumped straight on his jetski.

He can be heard saying on footage he took: “He is a f**king monster”.

Witnesses at the scene of a fatal great white shark attack at the Granites at Streaky Bay. Picture: Supplied

Jeff Schmucker said the shark attack victim was attacked from the side – and never stood a chance. Picture: 7NEWS

He said there was simply “no sign of the person”.

Police and emergency services are resuming an air and sea search for the man’s body in deep waters where sharks are known to reach 6m.

The attack occurred near Granite Rock off Westall Way Loop, which is close to Streaky Bay, 700km from Adelaide.

Another witness described the mauling as “horrendous” and the scene as “pandemonium”.

“It happened close in near the surf break” she said, adding that just moments before there were lots of tourists – between 10 to 20 – coming in and out of the water.

Scene of the great white shark attack at the Granites at Streaky Bay. Picture: Supplied

The surfer’s boots left on the shore after the great white shark attack at the Granites at Streaky Bay. Picture: Supplied

Eyre and Western police immediately responded and initiated a search of the area with the assistance of crew from water operations, Polair, SES and local volunteers.

The witness said a paramedic from Ceduna, who happened to be at the scene, was first to respond to the harrowing incident. “When it happened, we were just trying to get contact for a phone, I called first responders,” the witness said.

She said about 30 minutes later three ambulance officers and the SES arrived. The witness and her friends were “already to go in” right before the attack happened.

UniSA shark researcher Brianna Le Busque said the Eyre Peninsula was a shark hot spot because they liked to feed in the area.

“They are a species that migrate big distances but on the Eyre Peninsula you’ve got lots of seals,” Dr Le Busque said.

A major sand, air and sea search is underway on the state’s west coast after a surfer was mauled in a shark attack off Granite Rock at Westall, south of Streaky Bay. Picture: 7NEWS

She said great whites were drawn to the area because “the water goes really deep to really shallow quickly”.

While there have been seven reported shark sightings on the Eyre Peninsula so far in 2023, Dr Le Busque said swimmers and surfers would “probably not see it coming”.

And she said South Australia had been “unlucky” for attacks this year.

“We do seem to have a bit more activity in SA specifically,” Dr Le Busque said.

In particular there are “lots of large female sharks” on the Eyre Peninsula that can grow to as long as 6m.

“Quite commonly we see four to five metre sharks,” she said.

Dr Le Busque said while there was no consensus on why sharks killed people, “the most prominent theory is a case of mistaken identity”.

“We can look like a seal from our silhouette underneath the water,” she said.

And, while great whites like to feed in deeper waters, “they will come in quite shallow often”.

They most commonly feed at dawn and dusk.

Fisheries staff search the area where a surfer was mauled in a shark attack south of Streaky Bay. Picture: 7NEWS

The latest fatal attack on the Eyre Peninsula comes after 64-year-old grandmother Pam Cook was seriously injured when a juvenile great white shark, with jaws “the width of a basketball”, attacked her during a daily swim with about 20 friends near Beachport jetty, at 7.45am on October 2.

She sustained a bite to her right ankle, her left thigh and injuries to arms and hands, which resulted in five-and-a-half-hours of surgery at Mt Gambier hospital.

“We were probably about 100 or 110 metres out and then I felt like a grab on my ankle and I looked around and it was a shark,” Ms Cook said.

“I started yelling ‘shark, shark’ and then it left and I was still composing myself and it came from underneath and attacked my left thigh.” Despite rows of sharp teeth clenching down on her leg, Ms Cook said could not feel any pain.

“I didn’t have any pain, I didn’t feel it as it was happening,” she said.

“When the shark attacked me a second time my life flashed before my eyes. On my thigh it was sort of chewing.”

The experience left Ms Cook feeling grateful to the people who helped her, and lucky that she lived through the ordeal she said.

A map showing the proximity of the Streaky Bay attack to the May attack in Elliston.

In May this year, popular local teacher Simon Baccanello, 46, was killed in a shark attack, which happened off the West Coast town of Elliston.

Remnants of a wetsuit were found during an extensive search but Mr Baccanello’s body has not been located.

Scene of the great white shark attack at the Granites at Streaky Bay. Picture: Supplied

Originally published as 4.2m great white: Surfer killed in shark attack at Streaky Bay on SA’s west coast