Advertisement

WA shark attack victim dies

Surfers dragged Mr Gerring onto the beach. Facebook

Surfers dragged Mr Gerring onto the beach. Facebook

Ben Gerring, the West Australian man attacked by a shark on Tuesday, has died in hospital.

The 29-year-old, attacked while surfing off Falcon, near Mandurah south of Perth, died in Royal Perth Hospital overnight.

EgyptAir black box search zone narrowed
Fixing Great Barrier Reef could cost $16 billion
• Allergy-free peanuts cracked by scientists

Mr Gerring, who lost a leg in the attack, grew up in the area and was well known among local surfers.

Shark attack victim dies in WA

It’s believed Mr Gerring was attacked by a great white shark. Getty

Witnesses at the scene said his leg was severed above the knee.

The WA Department of Fisheries said during the week that the damage to Mr Gerring’s surfboard indicated he was attacked by a great white shark.

Mandurah Boardriders Club President Brian Williams said he arrived at the scene as fellow surfers dragged Mr Gerring onto the beach.

“By the time they got him to the beach somebody had already applied a tourniquet to stop the bleeding and they were just trying to do CPR to get him back breathing,” he said on Wednesday.

Mr Williams helped stretcher Mr Gerring up to the ambulance.

“It’s pretty harrowing seeing somebody you know lying there motionless, hoping that everything’s going to be OK,” he said.

Mr Williams said Mr Gerring had lived in the area all his life and his mother had travelled in the ambulance with him to hospital.

“He grew up as a Mandurah boardrider, he’s been here all his life, so he’s well-known, he’s a very good surfer,” he said.

Stay informed, daily
A FREE subscription to The New Daily arrives every morning and evening.
The New Daily is a trusted source of national news and information and is provided free for all Australians. Read our editorial charter
Copyright © 2024 The New Daily.
All rights reserved.