Latest news with #StevenJeffreyPayne
NZ Herald
11 hours ago
- NZ Herald
Coroner: Shark deterrent wouldn't have saved Kiwi surfer Steven Payne
Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech. An inquest into the death of a Kiwi man attacked in by a shark at an Australian beach has heard a deterrent device would not have saved his life. The inquest into the death of Steven Jeffrey Payne, 37, who was killed by a great white shark while surfing at Wharton Beach in March, has now finished. ABC News reports a 3-metre shark was seen circling Payne just before the attack, which occurred about midday. 'The water was clear and smooth and everything seemed calm when, without warning, a large great white shark appeared in the water behind Steve and attacked him.' The inquest revealed he was not wearing a shark deterrence device at the time of the attack.
ABC News
3 days ago
- ABC News
Coronial inquest finds shark shield would not have saved Steven Payne from shark attack off WA coast
A shark deterrent device is "very unlikely" to have prevented a fatal great white attack off WA's south coast, a coronial inquest has found. Steven Jeffrey Payne, 37, owned a repellent device but was not wearing it when he was taken by a great white shark while surfing at Wharton Beach, around 80 kilometres east of Esperance, in March this year. In her findings, Acting State Coroner Sarah Linton said the device Mr Payne owned, Shark Banz, was not subsided by the WA government. "In the circumstances of this attack, where it appears the shark attacked at high speed from some distance (a natural predatory behaviour for great white sharks), I understand it is very unlikely any device would be effective to prevent the attack," she said. Mr Payne and his partner Catherine, who were from Victoria, were one month into a six-month caravan trip when the attack occurred. The couple had previously visited Granites Beach in South Australia where there was a fatal shark attack in January. Catherine told police she and Mr Payne had made a joint decision not to surf at that location but thought WA waters would be safer. 'The risk of surfing at Esperance was the same as at Granites Beach,' Coroner Linton said. 'The sharks that are seen at Granites are likely to be the same sharks that are seen in the waters off Esperance, where there had been a number of recent shark attacks before Steve's death.' Prior to Mr Payne's death, there had been three fatal shark attacks off Esperance since 2017. "I understand that Steve was aware generally that there is always a low risk of shark attack when out surfing in the ocean off the Australian coastline," Coroner Linton said. Mr Payne and two other surfers were sitting on their boards waiting for a wave, 60 metres from the shore, when the attack occurred around midday on March 10. "The water was clear and smooth and everything seemed calm when, without warning, a large great white shark appeared in the water behind Steve and attacked him," Coroner Linton said. Catherine, who was reading a book on the beach at the time, described trying to enter the water whilst yelling "shark" and warning people to move to the shore, without initially realising it was her partner who had been attacked. The two other surfers said Mr Payne did not not make a sound and would have died in seconds. Mr Payne's surfboard, which had visible shark bites, was recovered from the water, and after a two-day search, his surf hat, pieces of his wetsuit and a piece of his board were found on the shore. His remains were never recovered. Ms Linton said she hoped it was a "very small comfort to Catherine and Steve's family that he died almost instantaneously" as a result of his injuries. According to the Australian Shark Incident Database (ASID) there have been 1285 shark incidents recorded since 1791. ASID found just six of those attacked were wearing a shark deterrent device and in five out of the six incidences the shark was "provoked". The state government introduced the $200 subsidy scheme in 2017, and offers the money on purchases of three different shark deterrent devices. More than 9,400 have accessed the subsidy so far.
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
The popular Australian seaside town plagued by deadly shark attacks
Esperance is regularly touted for possessing some of the world's best beaches, but now this popular Australian tourist town is facing a crisis after becoming plagued by shark attacks. Swimmers and surfers have long flocked this dreamy spot on the isolated south coast of Western Australia, about 400 miles from state capital Perth. But many locals and tourists have become wary of entering Esperance's crystalline seas due to a tragic spate of shark attacks. Esperance had gone more than 100 years without such a death before four people were killed by sharks in just the last eight years. This harrowing sequence of events has not only devastated the town's tiny community of about 10,000 people. It has also affected its reputation as a tourist destination, and sparked debate about just how aggressively authorities should implement anti-shark measures. Most recently, in March, a 37-year-old tourist from Melbourne, Steven Jeffrey Payne, was surfing at Wharton Beach near Esperance when he died from a shark bite. Another surfer, 52-year-old Esperance man Andrew Sharpe, passed away in similar circumstances in October 2020 at Esperance's Kelp Beds. Earlier that year, 57-year-old local Gary Johnson was killed by a shark while scuba diving at Cull Island near Esperance. And in April 2017, a 17-year-old tourist from Mandurah was fatally wounded by a shark while surfing at Kelp Beds. It means Esperance has had four of the last seven deadly shark attacks in Western Australia. Such a concentration of deaths is unprecedented in this colossal state, which has more than 8,000 miles of coastline. As a result, these shark attacks have received heavy news coverage. Ron Chambers, Esperance Shire President, said many locals and visitors were now cautious about entering the sea. 'Every life lost, be it a visitor or local, is deeply felt across the region,' Mr Chambers said. 'Locals and visitors are more alert, but not avoiding the water altogether. Some change where and when they enter the water, [but] the recent shark incidents have not stopped people coming to Esperance, our tourist numbers are still high.' Should visitors to Western Australia be concerned? The state's Tourism Minister Reece Whitby said it has one of Australia's most comprehensive programmes aimed at protecting the public from sharks. It uses shark tagging, shark lookout towers, helicopter shark patrols, beachside warning systems, and shark sighting apps. It also operates 'swimming enclosures' at seven of its most popular beaches, including Town Beach in Esperance, where a 300m net helps to block sharks. The Western Australian government has also committed AUD $45,000 to upgrade seaside shark warning towers at Esperance's Twilight Beach, West Beach, and Kelp Beds. Government employees also visit locations inundated with sharks, such as floating whale carcasses. There they attach digital tags to the most dangerous shark species: great white, tiger, and bull. Certain beaches across Western Australia have digital receivers which can detect these tagged sharks. A detection prompts the nearby shark warning tower to activate flashing lights and warning sirens for at least one hour. Further shark detection comes via WA's Shark Smart phone app, which members of the public can use to log a shark sighting. Swimmers and surfers can check this app for real time reports of shark sightings. All four of Esperance's recent attacks involved great white sharks, a giant species up to 6m long. A 2018 study by Australia's top scientific body, the CSIRO, found there were more than 1,000 great whites in Western Australian waters. Esperance's natural environment and tourist activity have combined to cause its spate of shark attacks, said Dr Gavin Naylor, director of the Florida Program for Shark Research. 'Esperance is a pristine part of the coastline with a rich marine life, including a healthy population of Australian sea lions, a favourite food of white sharks,' Dr Naylor said. 'The increased density of white sharks in the area has resulted in an increase in bites on surfers. The surfers are likely mistaken for seals flopping around at the surface.' Deadly shark attacks may make the news, but they're far less common than fatal car crashes, for example, says Dr Vincent Raoult, a marine ecologist from Australia's Griffith University. Over the past decade, Australia's had an average of 2.7 fatal shark attacks per year. Its annual road deaths are more than 40 times higher than that. Tourists to Australia can reduce their chances of encountering a shark by following simple advice. Avoid entering the sea at dawn or dusk, when sharks are more active. Choose beaches that have shark nets, shark lookout towers, or lifeguard patrols. Stay close to the shore, and avoid beaches with heavy fishing activity, which can attract sharks. Australian marine biologist Madeline Riley also recommends shark deterrent devices, which attach to a swimmers' limb and emit electrical pulses that can repel sharks. 'Some can reduce the risk of bites by around 60 per cent,' she said. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Yahoo
Surfer presumed dead after shark attack off Australian coast
CONDINGUP, Western Australia – A surfer is presumed dead after a suspected shark attack off the coast of Wharton Beach in Condingup, Western Australia. The incident happened about 12:10 p.m. Monday, the Western Australia Police Force said, approximately 40 miles east of Esperance. Upon arrival, authorities recovered a surfboard bearing clear evidence of bite marks. The missing victim was identified as 37-year-old Steven Jeffrey Payne, of Melbourne, according to local media. Immediately following the incident, a comprehensive search operation was launched along the waters off Cape Le Grand, where Wharton Beach is located. Search efforts resumed at first light Tuesday. "Unfortunately, that search has not recovered the surfer's body," Esperance police Senior Sergeant Chris Taylor said. "I can also confirm that our search is a recovery, not a rescue." In the interest of public safety, the Shire of Esperance rangers immediately closed Wharton Beach following the attack. Taylor said that after speaking with witnesses and reviewing drone footage from a member of the public taken shortly after the attack, it was clear what had happened to Payne. "The partner observed what happened yesterday, which is tragic," he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). "It is heartbreaking obviously, and the whole community of Esperance feels the pain. Not as much as the family. Obviously, they're distraught and trying to come to terms with what happened," Taylor said. Authorities have reported no further shark sightings in the area, and the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development is continuing to monitor the situation. "As a community within Esperance, we've been through this before," Taylor said. "It hurts a lot." There have been three fatal shark attacks in the region since 2017, ABC reports, when a 17-year-old died after being bitten by a white shark while article source: Surfer presumed dead after shark attack off Australian coast
