The wife of a man killed after being bitten by a shark at Port Beach in Western Australia has thanked authorities for their efforts as the search is wound down.
Fifty-seven-year-old Paul Millachip was swimming off the beach around 10am on Saturday when he was bitten by a shark.
Police, surf life savers and fisheries staff conducted an extensive search for him.
But the decision was made to suspend the search at 4pm on Sunday.
Mr Millachip's wife, who asked not to be named, has paid tribute to him as "a lovely man, and a great father".
"It's hard, it's very hard," she said.
"Thank you to the police and all the other agencies.
She also thanked a number of teenagers who were in a dinghy nearby when the attack happened, and helped raise the alarm along the beach.
"A special mention to those young lads in the boat for what they did in what must have been an absolutely terrifying experience for them, so my heart goes out to them and I thank them for what they did," she said.
"Thank goodness no one else was injured. They could potentially have saved other lives."
The search has only uncovered one lead.
"So far we haven't been able to recover any items other than one pair of goggles, and that pair of goggles has been swabbed for testing," Fisheries minister Don Punch said.
Jane Atkinson runs a coffee van at the beach, and said the mood among the tight-knit community of swimmers and beachgoers was sombre.
"You just don't think it happens at Port Beach.
"A lot of people that come to Port Beach have been coming for a long time. It's just really sad for the community and the people that were around."
She said while there have been sharks seen at the beach before, this is the first time one has attacked.
"The beach has been, when I've been here, shut a couple of times with shark sightings and I've actually seen the fins," she said.
"I was really shocked that it happened at our beach."
Young people praised for quick response
The incident was witnessed by a group of young people on a boat nearby who alerted emergency services straight away.
They were also praised for urging others to get out of the water.
Acting Inspector Troy Douglas said the boys were in a dinghy nearby and witnessed the incident.
"They … provided police with information on what they saw and heard," he said.
"I think it's a fantastic effort — it was probably something you don't want to see.
"They have been really, really helpful. They have done a great job of alerting other people on the beach and other swimmers."
'This beach is different'
Chris Madden was at Port Beach on Saturday and said he was meant to be in the water near where the incident happened at the time.
"But I stayed up here and was talking to a few mates, and then it all happened," he said.
"These young fellas turned up in the tinny and they were great, whizzed up and down and let everybody know get out of the water, they yelled and carried on.
"They were just champions."
He said the connection of many people who swim at the beach goes back generations.
"This beach is different," he said.
"I came down as a kid, brought my kids down.
"It's just the family vibe, so it's family down here."
But, he said, he wasn't sure if he knew who the man was.
"We don't do surnames down here, don't swap phone numbers," he said.
"It's just beach people."
Beaches in the area remain closed and lifesavers are conducting patrols to make sure people keep out of the water.
Members of a local swimming group, The Polar Bears, gathered near the beach this morning for their regular swim, only to find it closed.
One of the members who walked down to the beach despite the closure signs told the ABC he was threatened by authorities with a $1,000 fine.
City of Fremantle rangers have confirmed anyone found not complying with the direction to keep away from the closed beaches faces that fine.
