An Australian surfer is believed to have died following a Shark attack near Esperance on the south coast of Western Australia on Friday 9 October 2020. Andrew Sharpe, 52, was observed being knocked from his board and bitten on the leg by the Shark, described as being about four metres in length. His board was later recovered, with a large bite mark in it, but Mr Sharpe himself has yet to be located, although Shark attack victims are seldom consumed. A search for Mr Sharpe's body was halted after two days due to high seas.
Despite their fearsome reputation, attacks by Sharks are relatively rare. Most attacks on Humans by Sharks are thought to be mistakes, made by species that feed principally on Marine Mammals (which we superficially resemble when we enter the water), gaining the majority of their nutrition from the thick adipose (fat) layers of these animals (which we lack). Due to this, when Sharks do attack Humans these attacks are often broken off without the victim being consumed. Such attacks frequently result in severe injuries, but are seldom immediately fatal, with victims likely to survive if they receive immediate medical attention.
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