Latest news with #WhartonBeach
Daily Mail
10-07-2025
- Daily Mail
New details emerge after surfer, 37, was mauled to death by shark in front of his girlfriend at Aussie beach
A surfer mauled to death by a great white at a WA beach had decided against surfing at an SA beach a few weeks earlier after locals told him of a deadly shark attack. Steven Payne, 37, from New Zealand, was just weeks into a six-month trip around Australia with his girlfriend and their dog when they stopped for a surf at Wharton Beach on Western Australia 's south coast in March. Mr Payne, who had been in remission from testicular cancer for three years, was surfing in chest-deep water 50 metres from shore at the time of the attack. Shocked onlookers, including his partner who was reading a book on the sand, were powerless to help him as his screams rang out. The rescue operation became a recovery mission after a member of the public shared drone footage of Mr Payne being attacked by the shark with police. His surfboard was found nearby with bite marks, but authorities were unable to find his body. The Coroner's Court of Western Australia heard on Wednesday that Mr Payne owned a shark deterrent device but did not wear it as he thought it would not need it once he left South Australia. The inquiry was told that he and his partner Catherine had chosen not to surf at Granites Beach in SA after locals mentioned a fatal shark attack in January, PerthNow reported. The inquest was told Mr Payne went into the water with two other surfers about 10.15am on March 10 while his girlfriend Catherine Birch relaxed on the shore with their dog Poppy. After 90 minutes, she ran to the water's edge when she spotted a commotion. 'Catherine then realised that the commotion was where she had last seen Steven and the victim of the attack was wearing the same distinctive sun hat that he wore,' Acting Sergeant Craig Robertson said. 'From what she witnessed, Catherine immediately knew that Steven was dead.' He said the DNA testing from Mr Payne's damaged surfboard revealed a 100 per cent match for a great white. The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development's Dr Steven Travers assessed the drone footage, concluding the shark was between 3.2-3.5 metres long. Sgt Robertson told the inquest the other surfers could not help Mr Payne, as they had each reached a nearby rock and the shore. 'The attack concluded by the shark dragging Steven down into the large circle of blood-stained water that surrounded them... He was never seen to resurface following that,' he said. Investigators who assessed the drone video found 'the images show Steven sustaining injuries and blood loss which are incompatible with life', the inquest heard. Deputy State Coroner Sarah Linton told the inquest Mr Payne's death would likely be ruled a fatal accident. Mr Payne and Ms Birch had been together for 12 years and adopted their dog, Poppy, seven years ago. The trio were five weeks into a six-month caravan trip around the western half of Australia, his family said after the incident. 'Just a week ago, Steve surfed one of the best waves of his life, sharing the wave with a dolphin. He was stoked,' they wrote in a statement. The family said Mr Payne would not support a shark cull or any attempt to kill the shark responsible. 'He and his partner spent a lot of time in the ocean together, had enjoyed many dives with sharks and knew the risks,' they said. The inquest heard it took emergency services 40 minutes to reach the remote beach on March 10. It was then closed as the search operation began but the hunt was called off after two days. Police have suggested Mr Payne's body may have been taken from the location by the shark but teams did find his sun hat, two pieces of his wetsuit and foam believed to be from the damaged nose of his board. Western Australia Police Force Senior Sergeant Christopher Taylor described Ms Birch as distraught following the ordeal. 'Her life was turned upside down,' he said in March. 'You can imagine how she is, it's just horrible. 'It is heartbreaking obviously and the whole community of Esperance feels the pain - not as much as the family, they're distraught and trying to come to terms with what happened.' Witnesses described seeing a 'massive shark' launching itself at the surfer in the water. Mr Payne first picked up surfing while studying at the University of Otago in Dunedin, NZ. It was a passion he maintained after moving to Geelong, on Victoria's southern coast. 'We are devastated to have lost Steve,' they said. 'Steve was one of the best. A gentle giant, he was smart, kind, funny, laid back and very practical. 'While he wasn't a man of many words, he loved his partner deeply, cherished his family, thought the world of his best mates, and was devoted to his dog.' Mr Payne worked in Melbourne as a sales and marketing director and a volunteer firefighter. He grew up in Lower Hutt, near Wellington, and school friends described him as a talented rugby player. It's understood that Mr Payne and his partner had previously lived in Namibia, South Africa. Authorities arrived at the remote beach at 12.10pm on March 10, before closing the beach to commence a search.
ABC News
14-05-2025
- ABC News
Subdivision plans near Wharton Beach raise questions from farming community
A farming community in Western Australia's remote south-east has questioned plans for a 300-block subdivision near one of the country's most pristine beaches. Perth-based developer John Bestall wants to create a "holiday village-style" precinct on his 607-hectare property, 770 kilometres south-east of Perth and 60km east of Esperance. His plans, submitted to the Shire of Esperance, propose 1-8ha lots that would suit rural residential living or tourist accommodation, given the famous Wharton Beach and Duke of Orleans Bay are a five-minute drive down the road. He also believes the project would support the future development of a new town site in the area. The Orleans Bay Road property currently contains a tree plantation that would be harvested prior to development. Esperance's current local planning strategy already supports a future town site at Wharton Beach, opposite the existing caravan park. The area is a popular tourist destination with visitors regularly driving from Esperance to fish, camp, surf and see the famous white sand beaches. But the region is remote and has little infrastructure apart from the caravan park and services at Condingup, 25km to the north. With his land currently zoned as rural, Mr Bestall has asked for support to change the classification to allow for additional tourism, conservation and residential use. It also proposes creating "conservation covenants" and leaving 144 hectares as a large rural lot to protect native vegetation. In Condingup, a hub and meeting point for the local farming community, the project has sparked plenty of discussion. Marie Fowler, who farms in the area, believes long-time farmers wanting to retire locally would like the idea, while others would worry about its impact on the existing town. "There's not an option [elsewhere] really to have that lifestyle block, a five-acre block or something a bit bigger," she said. "So I think there is interest from that point of view. But she said there was concern the new precinct may overwhelm Condingup as it could be more than three times its size. She was interested to learn more as the process moved forward. Peter Brown, a retiree who lives at the nearby caravan park, worried the development would put too much pressure on the area and lead to reduced accessibility to the coast. "The Wharton town site, that's been spoken about ever since I can remember. Nothing ever happened with it," he said. "Personally, I don't think it needs to be there." While he said the region desperately needed housing, he believed it should be closer to Esperance or Condingup. "From my perspective I hope it doesn't go ahead," he said. "But … that's maybe just being selfish." Esperance Shire chief executive Shane Burge said if the subdivision was to happen, the developer would be responsible for putting in public amenities such as roads and green spaces. He said the shire would take on responsibility once it was finished, funded through rates paid by new property owners. He said the area would likely also need its own water supply scheme. But he said the idea was still a long way off. "There is [community] concern," he said. "We'll make sure if the planning commission do support it that it's widely put out there [for public feedback]."
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Yahoo
Drone Video Shows 'A Lot of Blood' in Australia Shark Attack
Following a shark attack in Western Australia on Monday, the search for a missing surfer has been suspended, according to local officials. Steven Payne, 37, was killed while surfing Wharton Beach. He was in chest-deep water at the time of the attack, and onlookers, including his girlfriend who watched in horror, in addition to a drone operator, saw the whole tragic incident go down. Only his surfboard, riddled with bite marks, was recovered from the attack. Now, per Western Australia Police Force Senior Sergeant Christopher Taylor, the search for Payne has turned into a 'recovery, not a rescue.' And family members are remembering their loved one. "Steve was one of the best,' his family said in a statement. 'A gentle giant at 6ft4 (193cm), he was smart, kind, funny, laid back and very practical. While he wasn't a man of many words, he loved his partner deeply, cherished his family, thought the world of his best mates, and was devoted to his dog.'Payne, a New Zealand native living in Melbourne, was in the midst of a six-month caravan trip around Australia with his girlfriend and dog when the attack occurred. As for the drone footage captured during the attack, Sergeant Taylor said the video made it 'so obvious what had happened.' He added: 'It shows a lot of blood, the shark and some other things in there I don't particularly want to go into and I don't think anybody else needs to see other than maybe the coroner and some other experts who will determine the type of shark and size.' This attack is just the latest in West Oz, a region notorious for sharky activity. Earlier this year, 28-year-old Lance Appleby was killed from an attack while surfing Granites Beach on the Eyre Peninsula. Rest in peace, Steve Payne.
