Shattered father breaks silence with powerful plea after his teenage daughter was killed by a shark

The heartbroken dad of a teenage surf lifesaver mauled to death by a shark has fought back tears as he urged everyone to continue coming to the beach where she lost her life. 

Charlize Zmuda, 17, was swimming at Woorim Beach on Bribie Island on Monday afternoon when she was bitten by a shark.

Despite the efforts of paramedics, the local teen died at the scene. 

Flanked by surf lifesavers, Charlize’s father Steven Zmuda bravely fronted the media on Tuesday to pay tribute to his daughter and urge locals to not stay away from the beach.

It comes as shattered locals arrived at the beach to lay flowers and pay their respects.

Hundreds later attended a vigil at the beach attended by Charlize’s family and friends on Tuesday night.

‘Something that my wife and I want to say is: we don’t want people to stop coming to the beach and enjoying our beach,’ Mr Zmuda said.

‘It’s a big part of our lives.

‘We’ve got family here … the community … and we love everybody here, so please still come to the beach and enjoy the surrounds of every beach up and down the coast.’

He also recalled the moment he and his wife Renee received the tragic news. 

‘I was extremely gutted,’ Mr Zmuda said.

Charlize has been remembered as a devoted surf lifesaver and talented musician.

‘She was a dedicated lifesaver who wanted to only the best for our club and for all of our community,’ her proud dad said.

‘Charlize was extremely musical, talented, she was the lead at the St Columban’s School as a singer … she was so musically gifted.’

‘To have that talent taken away right now … that kills me.

‘She’s hopefully upstairs with my late father.’

‘I never wanted a moment like this to happen to anybody and (for it) to be my daughter is a killer.’  

A week earlier, his daughter had posted blissful photos to social media that showed how she was spending the summer.

Charlize was seen surfing at sunrise, strumming a guitar by a bonfire and driving a jeep loaded with surfboards on a beach. 

‘Rest in peace beautiful girl,’ one friend wrote on Tuesday. 

Charlize was a Bribie Island resident and a surf lifesaver for the local club.

Her family and friends got up early on Tuesday morning to watch the sunrise at Woorim Beach, where Charlize swam every day. 

Her uncle described her as a ‘beautiful girl,’ and told Sunrise she had only just attended her school formal on Friday. 

She was attacked while swimming 100 metres offshore at the south-east tip of the island.

Police officers raced into the surf to help her after beachgoers heard ‘piercing’ screams. 

People initially thought Charlize had been caught in a rip, but it soon became apparent she had been bitten and suffered ‘catastrophic’ injuries to her upper arm and torso. 

At the time of the attack she was with her best friend, who has been left traumatised by the ordeal. 

The teen’s shattered family and friends later gathered at the scene on Monday evening, before they returned for their Tuesday morning vigil.

Shark sightings are frequent at Bribie Island, but attacks are rare. 

Woorim Beach is a popular destination with campers, 4WD enthusiasts and surfers as the closest surf beach north of Brisbane, where the Pacific meets the entrance to Moreton Bay.

The species of shark which attacked Charlize is unknown.

Woorim Beach will remain closed until at least Friday. 

Youth pastor Luke Walford was killed in a shark attack at Humpy Island near Rockhampton off the central Queensland coast on December 28.

Walford, 40, was spearfishing with family and friends when he was bitten.

There are an average of 20 shark attacks in Australia per year, resulting in about three deaths.