Nine News - Shark attack 3:19 Play video Officers have killed a great white shark, which was hooked in Esperance waters just hours after a 23-year-old Bunbury man was attacked and lost parts of both arms in a horrific attack. 
 
 A SECOND great white shark has been hooked and killed off Esperance after a 23-year-old surfer was attacked and lost parts of both arms in a horrific attack. 
 
 The man is 23-year-old Bunbury man Sean Pollard, who arrived at Royal Perth Hospital in a stable condition late yesterday afternoon. 
 
 Mr Pollard will reportedly undergo emergency surgery tonight after losing one arm below the elbow and his other hand. The Bunbury local was meant to play in his team’s grand final this weekend. 
 
 The attack occurred at unpatrolled Kelpids Beach in Wylie Bay, a popular surfing and fishing spot about 6km east of Esperance on WA’s south coast which is only accessible via 4WD. 
 
 The Department of Fisheries says a second large white shark, about 3m, was caught on drum lines in the same area a 3-4.5m shark was hooked yesterday afternoon. Both sharks were killed and will be taken to Perth for research purposes. 
 
 According to ABC TV, the person who spoke to Mr Pollard immediately after the attack said he believed he had been mauled by two bronze whalers and described it as a “feeding frenzy”. 
 
 Nine News - Shark Killed 0:16 Play video Fisheries officers have killed a great white shark, which was hooked in Esperance waters just hours after a 23-year-old Bunbury man was attacked and lost parts of both arms in a horrific attack. 
 
 In a statement, the department said: “Even upon examination it may not be possible to confirm that either shark was involved in the incident this morning. It is common for sharks to disgorge stomach contents.” 
 
 As soon as he was helped to shore by someone who witnessed the attack, Mr Pollard received first aid from an off-duty paramedic, who was fortunately at the scene, Esperance Shire president Malcolm Heasman said. 
 
 He was rushed to Esperance Hospital for initial treatment and later flown to RPH. 
 
 There may well be an outcry from conservationists if bronze whalers are confirmed as Mr Pollard’s attackers, given the Fisheries response represents the first time a white pointer – a protected species – has been killed by WA officials. 
 
 Mr Pollard, who was reportedly trying to teach his girlfriend to surf, was bitten by a white pointer of up to 4.5 metres in length, authorities say. 
 
 Department of Fisheries shark response unit manager Lisa Clack this afternoon said the Bunbury man was surfing 150 metres from the surf break at the unpatrolled Wylie Bay, east of Esperance, when he was attacked by the 3-4.5m shark about 11am today. 
 
 He was surfing on his own but his girlfriend may have been on the beach, Ms Clack said. 
 
 After the State Government got special Commonwealth approval, two drum lines were deployed after the attack and a shark was caught within the first hour. 
 
 While it is not known for certain that this shark was the culprit, it was destroyed humanely. 
 
 The killed shark is on its way to Perth for Fisheries officers to conduct research. 
 
 Ms Clark said the department considered the most humane way to kill the shark. 
 
 While the Royal Flying Doctor Service said the man had lost both arms, Mr Heasman said that was incorrect. 
 
 “#WA Man has lost both arms after #shark attack at #Esperance Beach. #FlyingDoctor are evacuating patient to Perth for treatment,” the RFDS tweeted. 
 
 But Mr Heasman said the man had lost the hand from one arm, and part of his other arm from the elbow down. 
 
 A police escort rushed blood to Jandakot Airport for transport to Esperance Hospital, where the man may have required a transfusion. 
 
 Mr Pollard’s family members were at Perth Airport to pick up his girlfriend who had flown in from Esperance. Relatives and Mr Pollard’s girlfriend then rushed to be by his side at RPH. 
 
 In a Facebook post, the South Bunbury Football Club wrote: “Today a young man was attacked by a shark in Esperance. Unfortunately the young man is one of our own in Sean Pollard. Our thoughts are with Polly and his family from everyone at South Bunbury Football Club.We are with you all the way mate.” 
 
 South Bunbury Football Club president Mark Docking said said Mr Pollard’s love of surfing meant it was hard to get him to focus on his football sometimes. 
 
 “It’s devastating for Sean, he's a young man, 23-years-old, as a club we’re right behind him and support him and his family,” he said. 
 
 Club director Jeff Hayres said the club was devastated. 
 
 “No one wants to see a 23-year-old in his prime be in this situation,” he told ABC radio. 
 
 Mr Pollard’s friends have posted comments on his Facebook page, saying their thoughts are with him. 
 
 “Thinking of you mate. Speedy recovery brother x,” Morgan Lane wrote. 
 
 Brendan Hough posted: “Mate thinking of you. We all are. Stick in there xx.” 
 
 Wylie Bay Beach and nearby Kelpids Beach are likely to remain closed for the next few days. 
 
 It is accessible only by four-wheel drive and is a popular spot for surfing and fishing. 
 
 Ms Clark said there were campers in the area. Fisheries urged people to stay out of the water. 
 
 Ms Clark said there was a recent shark sighting in the area, but there had previously been no attacks in that particular location. 
 
 The initial emergency call to St John Ambulance, from the beach, said the young surfer had lost both arms in the attack. 
 
 Earlier today, the Department of Fisheries say it is working closely with police, the Shire of Esperance and Department of Parks and Wildlife to close the beaches and that Surf Life Saving Association has jet-skis in the water. 
 
 Mr Heasman said the man’s family had been notified of the attack and authorities were trying to retrieve his surfboard. 
 
 “There has been some increased (shark) activity out in Wylie Bay over several weeks.” 
 
 “I got a phone call from someone a fortnight ago … that there had been some increased shark activity. 
 
 “There has been something ongoing there for a while, we don’t know what it is.” 
 
 Mr Heasman said he believed the man’s girlfriend was with him at Esperance Hospital, but said it was unclear if she had been with him at the beach at the time of the attack. 
 
 “There apparently were people around because they assisted him into the car park … my understanding is his girlfriend is definitely at the hospital,” he said. 
 
 “I think the 000 call came in fairly quickly about 11am.” 
 
 Mr Heasman said beaches in the area had been closed and could also stay closed tomorrow. 
 
 He confirmed the man’s injuries were severe. 
 
 “He’s lost the one arm apparently below the elbow and the other arm from the wrist,” he said. 
 
 “We don’t know if he’s lost his wrist or just had it severely damaged … he also has lacerations to his leg. 
 
 “It’s pretty severe. 
 
 “Our prayers and best wishes go out to him and his family.” 
 
 Premier Colin Barnett today said the Esperance incident was a “serious attack” and it was unclear at this stage what species of shark was responsible. 
 
 “A Fisheries vessel is in the water and an attempt is being made to catch the shark. The presence of this shark in the area during school holidays poses a significant threat to public safety,” he said. 
 
 “Unfortunately, I understand Wylie Bay is not a patrolled beach given the level of water use (it is mainly frequented by surfers), and therefore would not have been protected by drum lines under the Government’s previous program. 
 
 “That said, today’s attack is an unfortunate and tragic reminder of how serious the threat is.” 
 
 The shark attack comes just weeks after the WA Government abandoned its baiting drum line strategy, which was knocked back by the Environmental Protection Authority. 
 
 Instead the Premier said he hoped to deploy specialist shark hunters to take out rogue or threatening large sharks. 
 
 It is not known what sort of shark is responsible for today’s attack, but great whites are common off the WA south coast. 
 
 In January 2006, teenage body surfer Zak Golebiowski survived an attack by a great white at remote Wharton’s Beach, further east than Wylie Bay, but lost a leg. 
 
 Today’s attack happened at Kelpids Beach in Wylie Bay, a popular surf break and fishing beach which has 4-wheel-drive only access, about 15km east of Esperance on WA’s south-east coast. 
 
 St John Ambulance received the 000 call regarding the shark attack shortly after 11am. 
 
 Wylie Bay is a popular surfing spot, with beach breaks as well as a reef break 8km out from Wylie Head. 
 
 Online surfing guide Surfing Atlas lists sharks as a known hazard in this area. 
 
 Surf Life Saving WA tweeted on September 21 that Fisheries had advised it of a 4m shark sighted at West Beach Dalyup near Esperance. 
 
 The day before, September 20, two white sharks were seen at the Kelpids Beach, east of Wylie Bay. 
 
 One was 4m and the other one was slightly smaller. 
 
 Today’s attack follows the attack last year by a great white on an Esperance abalone diver about 180km east of the town. 
 
 Last year, Greg Pickering underwent 10 hours of surgery after a horrifying attack. 
 
 Mr Pickering was fishing for abalone when he was attacked by a great white shark. 
 
 He was bitten on the head and chest and endured several hours of travelling by boat and car before he could receive medical treatment. 
 
 Remarkably, it was the second time he had survived a shark attack - 10 years earlier he was attacked by a 1.5m bronze whaler while spearfishing with a friend about 9km off Cervantes. 
 
 FATAL ATTACKS IN WA 
 
 - November 23, 2013: Surfer Chris Boyd, 35, was fatally mauled by a great white at Umbies off Gracetown in the South-West. 
 
 -July 15, 2012: Surfer Ben Linden, 24, fatally mauled by a great white shark near Wedge Island, north of Perth. 
 
 -April 1, 2012: Father-of-two Peter Kurmann, 32, taken by a 4m white pointer shark after a morning dive off Geographe Bay with his brother. 
 
 -October 23, 2011: American George Thomas Wainwright, 32, died after a great white attacked him while scuba diving off Rottnest Island. 
 
 -October 10, 2011: Perth businessman Bryn Martin, 64, disappeared while swimming off Cottesloe Beach. His shredded swimming costume was later found. 
 
 -September 4, 2011: 21-year-old surfer Kyle Burden died in Bunker Bay after his body was ripped in half by a shark. 
 
 -August 17, 2010: Nick Edwards, 31, bled to death after being attacked while surfing in Gracetown. 
 
 -December 27, 2008: Fisherman Brian Guest, 51, was taken by a shark when he was snorkelling at Port Kennedy in Perth’s south. 
 
 -March 19, 2005: Geoffrey Brazier, 26, attacked by a 6m shark, believed to be a great white, as he snorkelled near the Abrolhos Islands, off Geraldton, 500km north of Perth. 
 
 -July 10, 2004: Surfer Brad Smith, 29, is attacked by two sharks believed to be a great white and a bronze whaler while surfing a popular reef off Gracetown. 
 
 -November 6, 2000: Businessman and father-of-three Ken Crew, 49, died after his leg was torn off by what Fisheries officers believe was a white pointer shark up to 4m long at North Cottesloe beach. 

 Esperance shark attack: Great whites to be examined after surfer Sean Pollard loses arm, hand 
 
 Updated 
 
 The carcasses of two great white sharks caught off the coast of Esperance, in southern Western Australia, will be cut open after a surfer was attacked. 
 
 Sean Pollard, 23, lost part of an arm and his other hand in the attack at Kelpids Beach, Wylie Bay, on Thursday morning. He is in a stable condition in Royal Perth Hospital. 
 
 Two great white sharks were caught and killed after WA's Department of Fisheries deployed drum lines off the beach following the incident. 
 
 The sharks have been taken to Perth by truck for research purposes, and Mr Pollard's surfboard will also be forensically examined by shark experts. 
 
 However, the Department of Fisheries conceded it might not be possible to confirm whether the sharks killed were involved in the attack. 
 
 "Even upon examination it may not be possible to confirm that either shark was involved in the incident. It is common for sharks to disgorge stomach contents," a statement from the department said. 
 
 Results of the tests on the sharks were not expected until next week. 
 
 Off-duty paramedic 'saved Mr Pollard's life' 
 
 Police said an off-duty paramedic, who was on the beach at the time of the attack, probably saved Mr Pollard's life by wrapping towels around his arms to stem the bleeding. 
 
 "Obviously he's had his wrist taken off and his left forearm, so it would have been a huge blood loss," Esperance police Senior Sergeant Richard Moore said. 
 
 "Having that paramedic there I believe would have saved his life and I'm sure Sean feels the same way." 
 
 He said Mr Pollard also suffered bites to the legs. 
 
 "He has a very positive attitude and he and his partner Claire thank the community and emergency services for their assistance," Senior Sergeant Moore said. 
 
 Mr Pollard's partner was on the beach at the time of the attack. 
 
 "She is still in a bit of shock," he said. 
 
 "She's got Mr Pollard's family around her. Her family's from Tasmania and they're flying in today to support her." 
 
 Baited drum lines put out soon after the attack were removed on Thursday night and the department has said they would not be put out again. 
 
 Premier Colin Barnett defends killing of sharks 
 
 Premier Colin Barnett has defended the decision to kill the sharks, denying it was a knee-jerk reaction. 
 
 "A young man suffered severe injuries and is very lucky to live, that’s hardly a knee-jerk reaction," he said. 
 
 "It's a serious issue and people going to the beach should feel as safe as possible. 
 
 "I think Perth beaches are as safe as we can reasonably make them, but the South West and the southern coastline is a different matter." 
 
 He said setting the baited drum lines had been necessary. 
 
 "The shark, while it was killed, it was done in a humane way," Mr Barnett said. 
 
 "Where there is a clear threat to public safety, we'll act to destroy that shark. 
 
 "It was necessary; it was school holiday time, there were people visiting that beach and camping along the beach." 
 
 Doubt over type of sharks involved in attack 
 
 Meanwhile doubts have emerged about the species of shark involved in the attack and the Sea Shepherd conservation group has criticised the decision to kill sharks near Esperance. 
 
 The surfer told authorities he believed he had been attacked by two bronze whalers. 
 
 A shark expert told the ABC he doubted that was true and believed great white sharks were much more likely to have been responsible. 
 
 That view was reiterated by Ms Clack who said it was highly likely they were great white sharks. 
 
 "Given the nature of the injuries and the location it occurred, it's not likely the species was a bronze whaler," she told Fairfax Radio. 
 
 "It's much more likely the species involved was a white shark." 
 
 Fatal shark attacks in WA since 2000 Surfer Chris Boyd: Gracetown, Nov 23, 2013 
 
 Surfer Ben Linden: Wedge Island, July 14, 2012 
 
 Diver Peter Kurmann: Geographe Bay, March 31, 2012 
 
 Diver George Wainwright: Rottnest Island, Oct 22, 2011 
 
 Swimmer Bryn Martin: Cottesloe Beach, Oct 10, 2011 
 
 Surfer Kyle Burden: Bunker Bay, Sept 4, 2011 
 
 Surfer Nick Edwards: Gracetown, Aug 17, 2010 
 
 Snorkeler Brian Guest: Port Kennedy, Dec 27, 2008 
 
 Snorkeler Geoffrey Brazier: Abrolhos Islands, Mar 18, 2005 
 
 Surfer Brad Smith: Gracetown, July 10, 2004 
 
 Swimmer Ken Crew: North Cottesloe, Nov 6, 2000 
 
 Sea Shepherd director Jeff Hansen said the discrepancy showed the catch-and-kill policy was flawed. 
 
 "If this is an eye for an eye sort of mentality, it's not going to make any difference, and it's proven through experience all over the world that culling and killing sharks does not work," he said. 
 
 "We have nature on a grand scale off our doorstep ... unfortunately at times we get caught in the middle of that and we have these tragic incidents, but we need to learn from what has happened here." 
 
 Mr Hansen said no matter what type of sharks were involved, they should not have been killed, and the Government needed to rethink its policy. 
 
 "There is no such thing as a rogue shark, they don't exist - they exist in Hollywood in films like Jaws and that's it," he said. 
 
 Wylie Bay is an unpatrolled beach about 10 kilometres south-east of Esperance and popular with surfers. 
 
 Beaches along a 15km stretch of coastline are likely to remain closed for several days and Ms Clack said authorities were closely monitoring the area. 
 
 "[They've been] Closing access points, letting as many people as they can know about the situation - and other government agencies, such as the Department of Transport and Department of Fisheries, have been on the water trying to let water users know as well," she said. 
 
 There were seven fatal shark attacks in WA in the three years from 2010 to 2013. 
 
 Baited drum lines were deployed off a number of Perth and South West beaches earlier this year to catch sharks, but plans to extend the trial this summer were abandoned after WA's Environmental Protection Authority advised against it. 
 
 Instead, the Government planned to introduce shark barriers at up to 22 beaches, although Esperance beaches are not included in the plans. 
 
 
 
 Topics: shark, conservation, oceans-and-reefs, environment, animal-attacks, esperance-6450 
 
 First posted
– A 23-year-old surfer in Western Australia has lost both hands and one arm from the elbow down in a shark attack that has renewed debate on the state's controversial shark cull policy. A witness says Sean Pollard believed he had been attacked by two bronze whaler sharks in a "feeding frenzy," but authorities say it's much more likely that a great white shark was responsible, Perth Now reports. Two great whites were caught and killed after the attack off the remote Kelpids Beach yesterday, but officials say that since it "is common for sharks to disgorge stomach contents," it may not be possible to confirm if either shark was involved in the attack. None of the 172 sharks caught under the cull program were great whites. Pollard, an electrician and semi-professional Australian rules football player, also suffered lacerations to his leg and is being treated in a Perth hospital, the Australian reports. After the attack—which his girlfriend witnessed from the beach—he was assisted by a fellow surfer who ran to assist and an off-duty ambulance officer. The director of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society says the incident demonstrates that culling and killing sharks doesn't work. "There is no such thing as a rogue shark, they don't exist—they exist in Hollywood in films like Jaws and that's it," he tells the Australian Broadcasting Company. The policy was suspended earlier this year, and the government plans to introduce shark barriers at beaches instead, though none were planned for the beach where Pollard was attacked.