Woman 'taken' by large shark.

[Special Ed]

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/tathra-shark-attack-victim-christine-armstrong-a-keen-swimmer/story-e6frg6nf-1226873211208

Christine Armstrong, 63, was killed during a morning swim between Tathra Wharf and Tathra beach about 8.20am.

Chris was very loved by many people, a statement from Ms Armstrongs family said.

She has been swimming at Tathra Beach for 14 years and was an experienced and committed member of the surf club. She was a senior surf club trainer for many years and swimming brought her much joy and many friends. She will be sadly missed by all who loved her, especially by Rob, her husband of 44 years.

Emergency services were called to an area between Tathra Wharf and Tathra beach before 9.00am (AEDT) today after Ms Armstrong was reported missing.

She was swimming with friends when she turned back towards the wharf about 8.20amand disappeared, police said.

Witnesses claim to have seen a three to four metre shark close to the surface, according to Bega District News.

Emergency service, surf lifesaving personnel were searching the area for her remains.

A report will be prepared for the Coroner.

Police and surf lifesavers asked the public to stay out of the water at Tathra Beach following the attack.

Tathra has a population of only a few hundred and its believed to be the first reported shark attack in the area.

It struck me as surprising, shark bite expert Dr Chris Neff of the University of Sydney told AAP.

Tathra certainly doesnt have a history of shark attacks on the database. The fatal shark attack brings to 47 the number of people killed in NSW in the past 100 years, according to the Shark Attack File. Dr Colin Simpfendorfer, a shark researcher at Queenslands James Cook University, said the shark was likely to have been a great white as they inhabit Australias southern waters.

If you swim in the ocean, there is a remote chance you will be bitten by a shark, he said.

There is no place that is particularly safe. He was surprised the attack happened so close to shore as the swimmers were only 100 metres from the beach.

Bermagui Blue Balls swimming club president Gary Pearse often swims and dives in the area.

There is a resident great white. I havent seen it myself, but I know people who have and theres also a lot of bronze whalers, Mr Pearse told News Corp Australia.

Local residents of the popular holiday spot are stunned by the attack.

Resident Molly Carroll described the scene in the fishing village, east of Bega, as eerie.

It is a bit of a shock, she told Bega District News.

I was down at the beach about 8am. I saw the swimmers go in and then I was up at the house when the helicopter went over.

It is a bit of an eerie feeling. Emergency service and surf lifesaving personnel are searching the area for remains, with a rescue helicopter flying above the area.

Poppy Benton, who was working at her sisters cafe at the time of the incident, said the beach is popular and she had never heard of a shark attack in the area.

I think this will be the first shark attack for the area. I havent heard of anything before. Theres always swimmers every morning (at the beach). Bob Armstrong, who has spent 60 years in Tathra, has had a long association with the local surf lifesaving club.

He said the club patrolled around the cliffs in the 1950s and had seen sharks but this was the first attack in the area he had known.

Bega Valley Shire Council general manager Leanne Barnes said the community was shocked by the incident.

Our thoughts go out to the emergency workers, the groups of swimmers and everybody there at this time, Barnes told ABC News 24.

Its a very popular, sensationally beautiful part of the far south coast. There is a very famous local swim ... a group that swim (from the wharf) to the beach every day.

-

This is the third shark related death off the coast of Australia this year. Including the death of a person off the coast of Africa we have four deaths already in 2014. It's an interesting topic when you include the decision for shark culling - which I feel is up to locals.

Sad news and RIP to the victim. It's rare to be taken by a shark but I think I would much prefer to be struck by lightning.

[Offensive Threat]

Shark attack. What could be worse than being killed by a large carnivorous fish? Seems a nasty way to go and so random if it happens where there has never been a shark attack before. Probably a much better chance of being hit by lightning.

[Azzy Mahmood]

This is a tragic story - what a horrible way to die. Sharks, spiders and snakes are the reasons I will never visit Australia, even to see the Neighbours set. Awful.

[Cold Hard Truth]

Jaws validated again and again

[Armada]

Does this shark have a very particular set of skills; skills it has acquired over a very long career of sharketeering. Skills that make it a nightmare for people?

[pdc]

man I hate hearing about shark culling. Thats just wrong on so many levels. Science has come a long ways, we've developed wetsuits that repel or hide you for sharks, they have developed odor and scents that repel sharks. Shark culling is just the wrong way to approach to this problem; sharks are very cool animals and probably the most misunderstood. RIP Christine Armstrong, thats a horrible way to go

[D-Money]

This is a tragic story - what a horrible way to die. Sharks, spiders and snakes are the reasons I will never visit Australia, even to see the Neighbours set. Awful.

LOL!

Do you realize how few people are victims of shark attacks?

[elvis15]

4 deaths only? How many murders have there been in any given area this year? How many people died in the recent plane crash? Sharks aren't an issue to be worried about, at least not to the level of those other things.

But seeing as she turned back perhaps she wasn't feeling well. If she couldn't get back for whatever reason (maybe she was having a heart attack, stroke or something else similar - she was 63) then she may have ended up drowning rather than being killed by a shark.

Sounded like she did what she enjoyed in swimming and good for her. That's plenty of days of ocean swimming from the sounds of it and chances for sharks to have taken her before then if they were things to be feared.

[Baka]

Hmm. I saw the title and thought this was about a shark sexually assaulting a woman.

[ckamo]

man I hate hearing about shark culling. Thats just wrong on so many levels. Science has come a long ways, we've developed wetsuits that repel or hide you for sharks, they have developed odor and scents that repel sharks. Shark culling is just the wrong way to approach to this problem; sharks are very cool animals and probably the most misunderstood. RIP Christine Armstrong, thats a horrible way to go

During shark week Discovery ran a piece on how the scent of dead sharks is actually a shark repellent. There's a theory floating around that the hunting of sharks for their fins in open waters has caused sharks to travel closer to the shores leading to an increase of shark attacks.

I haven't read up on it to see if it's valid, but they had a scene where they attracted a bunch of sharks to their location and then released a pressurized container of "dead shark scent". It was quite interesting to watch.

[pdc]

 

During shark week Discovery ran a piece on how the scent of dead sharks is actually a shark repellent. There's a theory floating around that the hunting of sharks for their fins in open waters has caused sharks to travel closer to the shores leading to an increase of shark attacks.

I haven't read up on it to see if it's valid, but they had a scene where they attracted a bunch of sharks to their location and then released a pressurized container of "dead shark scent". It was quite interesting to watch.

 

yeah I saw the same thing on a different documentary. I think they found after a orca had killed a great white in San fran, that the hundreds of great whites mysteriously dissappeared within a day. Then they did the same tests with different sharks and had the exact same effect. Just proof that there is much better ways than shark culling

[Tommi-Santala]

Coconuts falling from trees kill more people then sharks

[Jägermeister]

Coconuts falling from trees kill more people then sharks

Vending machines also kill more people than sharks.

Sharks really are the least of your worries people, especially in place like Australia.

[Special Ed]

4 deaths only? How many murders have there been in any given area this year? How many people died in the recent plane crash? Sharks aren't an issue to be worried about, at least not to the level of those other things.

But seeing as she turned back perhaps she wasn't feeling well. If she couldn't get back for whatever reason (maybe she was having a heart attack, stroke or something else similar - she was 63) then she may have ended up drowning rather than being killed by a shark.

Sounded like she did what she enjoyed in swimming and good for her. That's plenty of days of ocean swimming from the sounds of it and chances for sharks to have taken her before then if they were things to be feared.

In terms of shark deaths four is a pretty high number this early in the year. From what I see those numbers are expected to keep rising each year as more people enter the water. It's not a huge issue to be worried about for us.... But consider people that live in those areas and have family/friends who enter the water frequently.

In regards to something else possibly having happened to her not likely. There was a witness who saw a shark mauling something in the water near to where the swimmers were.

[Special Ed]

Shark attack. What could be worse than being killed by a large carnivorous fish? Seems a nasty way to go and so random if it happens where there has never been a shark attack before. Probably a much better chance of being hit by lightning.

I have read extensively on the subject. It's absolutely the worst way to go. People often lose their limbs first trying to defend themselves. Yes a better chance of being killed by lightening. But then consider how many non fatal attacks there are and then add encounters in. Starts to become a little too close for comfort.

[Special Ed]

During shark week Discovery ran a piece on how the scent of dead sharks is actually a shark repellent. There's a theory floating around that the hunting of sharks for their fins in open waters has caused sharks to travel closer to the shores leading to an increase of shark attacks.I haven't read up on it to see if it's valid, but they had a scene where they attracted a bunch of sharks to their location and then released a pressurized container of "dead shark scent". It was quite interesting to watch.

I don't think any deterrent is anywhere near 100% yet. You can check up on Shark Shield which uses an electromagnetic pulse to disrupt the sharks senses. However even that has proven to fail after a diver was killed wearing one that was activated. It may work on cruising sharks, but not the larger sharks which would use bursts of speed to ambush you.

[elvis15]

In terms of shark deaths four is a pretty high number this early in the year. From what I see those numbers are expected to keep rising each year as more people enter the water. It's not a huge issue to be worried about for us.... But consider people that live in those areas and have family/friends who enter the water frequently.

In regards to something else possibly having happened to her not likely. There was a witness who saw a shark mauling something in the water near to where the swimmers were.

I don't know about if it's higher than past years or not, but I consider that way less than people I know that drive cars, fly in planes, own guns, live/work in bad areas, etc.

As others noted above, the point is injuries or deaths related to sharks are a drop in the bucket compared to most other situations.

[Special Ed]

I don't know about if it's higher than past years or not, but I consider that way less than people I know that drive cars, fly in planes, own guns, live/work in bad areas, etc.

As others noted above, the point is injuries or deaths related to sharks are a drop in the bucket compared to most other situations.

Yes but there are small factors which aren't considered in those numbers is all I'm saying. Consider that the current 'likelihood of attack' includes people that don't swim in the ocean and don't swim in the ocean frequently. Or even swim in the Ocean where there are sharks. What should be done is put those numbers up against the number of people that frequent the ocean(where there are actually sharks). I imagine the likelihood of an attack is a bit higher then no?

[Jägermeister]

Yes but there are small factors which aren't considered in those numbers is all I'm saying. Consider that includes people that don't swim in the ocean and don't swim in the ocean frequently. Or even swim in the Ocean where there are sharks. What should be done is put those numbers up against the number of people that frequent the ocean(where there are actually sharks). I imagine the likelihood of an attack is a bit higher then no?

What about 3rd world countries where people don't have vending machines?

Or non-tropical places that don't have coconuts growing on trees?

[Special Ed]

What about 3rd world countries where people don't have vending machines?

Or non-tropical places that don't have coconuts growing on trees?

I find it hard to believe. When is the last time someone was killed by a falling coconut?

http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2405/are-150-people-killed-each-year-by-falling-coconuts

The last one I could find was in 2010. In August 2010, a 69-year-old man was killed by a coconut that fell out of a 12-meter (39 ft) palm tree while he was sitting in a rocking chair outside his home in Melgar, Colombia.[35]

Since 2010 there have been 59 people killed by sharks. So unless you can find someone more recently killed by a coconut it's;

Sharks-59

Coconuts-1

I think people create 'urban myths' exaggerating facts in order to protect or exonerate sharks.