An Australian surfer is presumed dead after he was dragged underwater by a shark in an area known to be frequented by great whites earlier this week, authorities said.
Tod Gendle, 55, was paddling in the water with a group of surfers near Granites Beach near Streaky Bay when he was knocked off of his surfboard by a shark around 10:20 a.m. local time Tuesday, witnesses told ABC.
“The guy just caught a wave and started paddling back out. He got knocked off his board by the shark and then it circled back around and grabbed him,” onlooker Jack Martin recalled of the horrifying moment.
The shark then “thrashed him about and took him under,” Martin said.
Local Jeff Schmucker jumped on his water ski to immediately help search for Gendle, 7News reported.
“I immediately grabbed the surfboard that was floating in the line-up,” he told ABC of the search.
He went where witnesses said the attack took place and turned off his jetski, Schmucker explained.
“Within a minute, a great white of 14 feet or so [approached],” he said.
Schmucker followed the shark around in circles for several laps, but could find any trace of the vanished surfer.
“At one point I could have reached over and touched the dorsal fin of the shark as it came out of the water,” he recalled.
The gnarly creature was “the length of a sedan car” and “weighed somewhere between [2200 to 3000 pounds],” Schmucker added – though he admitted he was not sure if it was the same shark from the attack on Gendle.
“I’ve seen five great whites in the water at once on one particular occasion so you can’t count out the fact there could have been more than one shark there,” he said.
Gendle – whose body has still not been found – was officially identified by his family Thursday.
“We wish to express our heartfelt thanks to the police and volunteers for their dedicated efforts in the recent days,” the grieving loved ones’ statement read, per ABC.
“We extend our appreciation to his friends and the local community of Streaky Bay, who had the chance to know Tod.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with those who were with Tod on that day.”
Gendle traveled Australia frequently as “a very competent surfer,” Superintendent Paul Behr told ABC.
“Depending on the wind, the swell and the currents, we will be continuing to do searches [for Gendle’s body] for short periods over at least the next two days,” Behr continued.
Searching for the shark involved in the attack would be “futile,” however, and authorities will not try to track it down, Behr added.