An Australian Great White Shark killed a British father as he was swimming off the coast from Western Australia, while his wife watched helplessly.
Paul Millachip, 57, is believed to have been taken by a 4.5 metre shark while swimming at a beach in North Fremantle in Perth on Saturday morning – with the attack witnessed by multiple people.
Port Beach was the scene of a large-scale search that lasted 2 days. However, only a pair swimming goggles has been located.
On Sunday afternoon, Mr Millachip’s wife, who declined to be identified by name, said that her husband had died while doing the things he loved: surfing and staying fit.
She said, “Rest in Peace Paul,”
According to The Sun, she paid tribute to her husband and described him as a great man and father for their children.
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Paul Millachip (pictured) and his wife were on Port Beach, North Fremantle. When Mr Millachip was attacked with a shark, he was not even able to swim.
Mrs Millachip expressed gratitude to authorities for being ‘extremely thorough’ as well as the support of their friends, whose families reside in the UK.
Four teenager boys were standing on the sand and claimed to have seen the shark.
Although I didn’t know the exact type of shark it was, one teenager said that he saw it to be mammoth. One teenager said that the distance from the tail to the fin was quite large.
She also said she was grateful to the group of boys who had helped explain what happened.
“It must’ve been an extremely terrifying experience for them. So my heart goes out,” she stated, with her voice trembling.
“I am grateful for the kind words they have spoken.”
‘Amazing. Their actions could have potentially saved lives.
Between spotting an attack on the beach and advising others, the teenagers called the emergency services.
An image of the swimmer (57 year old) who was attacked in North Fremantle by a shark on Saturday has been captured.
Every Saturday, Mr Millachip swam on the beach.
His wife stated that he and his husband had been running to the beach at least twice a week. Then, he would swim.
“He was supposed to swim for one kilometre on Saturday. Instead, I just went in and got out because the water was too cold.
Millachip, his wife and two of their adult children were regulars at the beach.
She replied, “I was…where the change rooms are.”
Millachip was an avid cyclist and a skilled swimmer, who loved to compete in marathons and triathlons.
“He had done six Iron Men competitions down at Busselton so he was healthy and fit.”
Port Beach has been closed by the local council.
The father-of-two’s extensive search in the sea for him was suspended by police on Sunday afternoon.
“A man lost his life, and a family is grieving.” This is a very sad situation,” WA Premier Mark McGowan stated earlier Sunday.
All the beaches of this area will be closed until at least Monday.
At Port Beach (16km west of Perth’s centre), the attack took place at 10am local time
Since then, experts have warned of the possibility that a large shark is lurking at the’most popular beaches’ most of the time.
Following warnings of shark attacks on the rise, this latest incident was reported.
There were 82 shark attacks on Australia in 1990. The number rose to 161 by the end of the decade.
From 2010 to 2020 there were 220 and in 2021 there have been 18 attacks with two of them confirmed as deadly.
Dr Daryl McPhee, a researcher at Bond University, said that the increase in attacks around the world was due to a variety of factors. These include more people on the sea doing more activities and in remote areas. Also, warmer oceans forcing sharks and their food supplies to move to other locations.
Since Saturday, a great white shark allegedly attacked a man aged 57. He was 30 metres off Port Beach.
The Project was told by Dr McPhee that there’s a trend to increase the number of shark bites overseas and in Australia over time.
“Sharks are part and parcel of the marine ecosystem. If we were able to track every shark, there would be one large shark at most beaches on most days of each year.
“So we have to find ways for co-existence.
Callum Brown, Macquarie University’s Professor of Shark Attacks said that despite increasing shark attacks, they remain extremely rare.
He stated that older methods like drum lines and nets to control sharks are being replaced with more effective methods.
The victim was believed to have been 30m off the coast. Water police coordinated a search in marine waters for him.
Drones can be used to scan the waters and transmit images to artificial intelligence computers that are able to spot sharks.
You can also use personal deterrents that emit an electrical pulse to repel sharks, however these must not be more than a few meters from the shark.
Finally, there are camouflage decals for surfboards and wetsuits that can stop surfers looking like hungry sharks.
“Our fear really is driven by guts. It’s not based on any kind of data, or any type of real-world estimate about the risk. Your car should make you more nervous. He said that.