Man mauled by shark during morning swim at local South Australian beach on Thursday identified

Sky News AU

16-05-2025

The swimmer who was mauled by a shark at his local South Australian beach on Thursday has been identified.
Emergency services were called to Port Noarlunga Jetty at about 9.45am after reports a swimmer had been bitten by a shark.
Richard Vinall was swimming at his local beach in the small seaside suburb when he was bitten on the leg.
The beach is a popular local spot for swimming, snorkelling, and diving.
Swimmers were promptly evacuated from the water, while Mr Vinall was helped to shore and treated at the scene by paramedics before being rushed to hospital.
Divers in the water at the time told Nine News they heard 'blood-curdling screams' from under the surface.
One diver said Mr Vinall's partner had returned to shore by the time the attack unfolded, but ventured back into the water when she heard her partner screaming in an attempt to help.
Mr Vinall is currently being treated for injuries to his thigh but is in a stable condition.
The latest incident comes just two years after 32-year-old Bridgette O'Shannessy was mauled by a Great White Shark while free-diving on a reef with her husband at the same beach in 2023.
Her husband pushed the shark away from her during the attack, likely saving her life.
Despite being bitten on the head and suffering nerve damage, Ms O'Shannessy miraculously survived.
The beach is known for the Port Noarlunga Reef Aquatic Reserve, which Trails SA describe as "South Australia's most intensively used and best known aquatic reserve... (which) is home to more than 200 species of marine plants and animals, and more than 50 species of fish.
About 170,000 visitors visit Port Noarlunga each year, while more than 1.2 million people visit the wider Onkaparinga region.