An experienced surfer has died after being mauled by a shark off Sydney’s coast the day before Father’s Day.
Mercury Psillakis, 57, was in the water with friends at Long Reef Beach, north of the city, when the attack happened on Sunday morning. He had been surfing for around 30 minutes before the fatal encounter.
While other surfers managed to get back to shore, Mr Psillakis was found in the water with catastrophic injuries and “a number of limbs” missing.
Emergency services were called at around 10am local time to reports of a surfer with critical injuries. Despite efforts by fellow surfers to pull him from the sea, he lost a significant amount of blood and died at the scene.
Mr Psillakis leaves behind a wife and young daughter.
NSW police Supy John Duncan told a press conference: “We understand he leaves behind a wife and a young daughter. Obviously, tomorrow being Father’s Day, it’s particularly tragic.”
According to the police, parts of the victim’s surfboard were retrieved and taken for examination to determine the species of shark which launched the attack.
Witnesses of the attack said they believed it could have been a great white shark.
Following the incident, the beach was closed to visitors, while other beaches near Manly and Narrabeen were also closed.
Nearby beaches are expected to remain closed for between 24 and 72 hours, according to Rod McGibbon, a duty officer from Surf Life Saving (SLS).
Mr Psillakis’s death marks the second fatality from a shark attack this year, after 28-year-old surfer Lance Appleby died from an attack near Granites beach in South Australia in January.
