Pictured: Young surfer feared mauled to death by a shark just hours after local fisherman’s chilling warning – as the frantic search for his body continues
The victim of a fatal shark attack on South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula has been identified as 28-year-old Lance Appleby – as a fisherman’s grim warning just hours before the surfer was mauled is revealed.
The experienced surfer was attacked at Granites Beach just after 7pm on Thursday.
Emergency services rushed to the beach, about 700km from Adelaide, after receiving reports of a shark attack.
A air, land and sea search for Mr Appleby, who was home visiting his family for Christmas, is yet to locate his body.
The beach has been closed to the public who have been urged to stay away.
Mr Appleby’s disappearance comes after a local fisherman said he spotted an ‘aggressive’ great white shark in the area.
‘Large great white sighted acting aggressively near granites, Streaky Bay,’ he wrote on a South Australian West Coast shark alert Facebook page.
The attack comes after Tod Gendle, 55, was killed by a four-metre great white shark while surfing at the same beach in October, 2023.
The victim of a fatal shark attack on South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula has been identified as 28-year-old Lance Appleby (pictured)
The experienced surfer, aged in his late 20s, was attacked by a shark at Granites Beach on South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula (pictured) just after 7pm on Thursday
Fellow surfer Jeff Schmucker, who raced out on a jet ski to try to save him, said he saw Tod getting pulled underwater by the huge shark.
Mr Schmucker said he was attacked and circled several times by a ‘big female’ shark.
He did not see any remains of the 55-year-old’s body but told 7News he was able to retrieve part of his surfboard which had a large bitemark taken out of it.
Locals said Tod had only moved to the area a short time ago and was not familiar with the surfing spot, which is known as a great white shark breeding ground.
South Australia Police Assistant Commissioner John De Candia said a report is being prepared for the coroner.
Mr Appleby (pictured right) was a keen surfer and also played footy for the Marble Range Football Club.
‘It’s a very sad, tragic circumstance for the family,’ Commissioner De Candia said.
‘Any death in these circumstances is absolutely tragic.’
Mr Appleby was a keen surfer and also played footy for the Marble Range Football Club.
He had travelled to Europe just several moments before the suspected shark attack and posted pictures to Facebook of his visit to several cities including London and Amsterdam.
Friends and loved ones have since paid tribute to Mr Appleby online.
‘RIP mate,’ one person wrote.
‘Rest in peace,’ another person wrote.
