Shark attack in Australia rips off both of man's hands

23-year-old surfer Sean Pollard lost parts of his arms in a devastating shark attack just off the Western Australian Coast.

16:28 02 October 2014

23-year-old surfer Sean Pollard has lost both his arms following a shark attack in Western Australia. The victim was attacked around 11am on Thursday at Kelpids Beach, an isolated stretch of sand near Esperance on the state’s south coast. 

 

A Great White Shark has been caught and has been killed by the WA Department of Fisheries. The spokeswoman said: 'Department of Fisheries' officers deployed capture gear within the vicinity of the incident, and later captured a while shark, between 3 and 4.5 metres in size.'

 

She added: 'The Commonwealth granted an exemption for the deployment of fishing gear to catch a shark posing a threat,' she said. 

 

'Arrangements will be made to retain the shark for research purposes and for further examination by the department's experts.'

 

South Bunbury Football Club wrote on Facebook on Thursday afternoon: '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,' the post continued.