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Locals and holiday makers in the Whitsundays are being warned not to swim at Cid Harbour at any time after a shark fatally mauled a man on a yachting holiday with friends.
The 33-year-old Victorian died from bites to his left thigh, right calf and left wrist in the attack at dusk on Monday.
It’s the third serious shark attack at Cid Harbour in two months and has prompted debate about how to prevent further attacks at the beautiful boat mooring site where food and fishing scraps from boats can attract sharks.
Tasmanian woman Justine Barwick and 12-year-old Melbourne girl Hannah Papps survived after being bitten on consecutive days in September.
Water police, Queensland Department of Fisheries and other government agencies were at Cid Harbour on Tuesday, interviewing witnesses and warning people not to swim there.
The man who died had been on the first of a five-day sailing holiday with nine other friends on a 40-foot yacht from Cumberland Charter Yachts.
He and a woman had been using a stand-up paddleboard moments before the mauling, Queensland Police Inspector Steve O’Connell told reporters .
Despite the frantic efforts of his friends – including two doctors – the man went into cardiac arrest and had to be given CPR before being flown to Mackay Hospital.
RACQ crewman Ben McCauley said the scene was “absolutely horrific”.
“He’d suffered very serious bites, significant blood loss as well as cardiac arrest,” Mr McCauley said.
The man later died in hospital and his friends were given support on Hamilton Island.
Baited drumlines were controversially installed around Cid Harbour following the attack on Ms Papps but they were removed about a week later.
Whitsunday LNP MP Jason Costigan called on Tuesday for the state government to urgently reconsider putting in permanent controls saying it was flirting with danger to not have them.
However environmental groups say random culling is not the answer to preventing shark attacks.
Humane Society International marine campaigner Lawrence Chlebeck warns drumlines would provide a false sense of security to swimmers and educating people would be more effective.
“Permanent and prominent signage and education to prevent swimming at Cid Harbour would have been much more effective,” Mr Chlebeck said.
Queensland Fisheries Minister Mark Furner said drumlines or not, no one should swim in Cid Harbour.
“As local charter operators have advised, Cid Harbour is primarily a site for mooring, he said.
“The disposal of food scraps can attract sharks and that means no one should swim in Cid Harbour under any circumstances.”
One of the previous victims, Justine Barwick, sent her sympathies to the family and friends of the man.
“I know that he would have received the best of care available from the Queensland Health Service, including RACQ CQ Rescue helicopter crew and my heart goes out to all involved,” Ms Barwick said in a statement.
