Possible Shark INCIDENT at Denmark, near Surf Club

24 June 2015

Update:

The Department of Fisheries is currently assisting WA Police with a possible shark incident involving a 37 year-old Denmark woman, at Ocean Beach off Western Australia’s south coast this morning.

It’s understood the woman was surfing with her husband when her board was struck by a large marine creature, believed to be a shark. The woman has sustained minor injuries.

Department of Fisheries scientists have assessed the pictures of the damage to the board provided by WA Police and give the advice that, while it is not possible to provide a conclusive determination, it is very likely the damage was caused by a shark. There is no evidence, however, to suggest size or species

Situation:
• A woman received non-life threatening injuries after being knocked off a surfboard this morning by a large marine creature, believed to be a shark. The woman was not bitten. The Department of Fisheries and WA Police are investigating.

What to do:
• Ocean Beach at Denmark has been closed by local shire rangers
• Take additional caution in the Denmark coastal area.
• Keep informed of the latest detection and sighting information by checking the SharkSmart website or Surf Life Saving WA’s Twitter feed.
• If you see a shark, report it to Water Police on 9442 8600. All shark sighting information reported to Water Police is provided to response agencies and to the public on the SharkSmart website and Surf Life Saving WA Twitter feed.

What authorities are doing:
Department of Fisheries is arranging to inspect the surfboard to look at bite damage.

Extra information:
Keep informed of the latest detection and sighting information by checking the Shark Activity Map on the SharkSmart website – www.sharksmart.com.au/shark-activity or the Surf Life Saving WA Twitter – twitter.com/SLSWA.

Check www.sharksmart.com.au/news for current alerts and warnings.

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