Surfer presumed dead after shark attack off Australian coast

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CONDINGUP, Western Australia – A surfer is presumed dead after a suspected shark attack off the coast of Wharton Beach in Condingup, Western Australia. 

The incident happened about 12:10 p.m. Monday, the Western Australia Police Force said, approximately 40 miles east of Esperance. Upon arrival, authorities recovered a surfboard bearing clear evidence of bite marks.

The missing victim was identified as 37-year-old Steven Jeffrey Payne, of Melbourne, according to local media.

Immediately following the incident, a comprehensive search operation was launched along the waters off Cape Le Grand, where Wharton Beach is located. Search efforts resumed at first light Tuesday.

"Unfortunately, that search has not recovered the surfer's body," Esperance police Senior Sergeant Chris Taylor said. "I can also confirm that our search is a recovery, not a rescue."

In the interest of public safety, the Shire of Esperance rangers immediately closed Wharton Beach following the attack.

Taylor said that after speaking with witnesses and reviewing drone footage from a member of the public taken shortly after the attack, it was clear what had happened to Payne.

"The partner observed what happened yesterday, which is tragic," he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). 

"It is heartbreaking obviously, and the whole community of Esperance feels the pain. Not as much as the family. Obviously, they're distraught and trying to come to terms with what happened," Taylor said.

Authorities have reported no further shark sightings in the area, and the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development is continuing to monitor the situation.

"As a community within Esperance, we've been through this before," Taylor said. "It hurts a lot."

There have been three fatal shark attacks in the region since 2017, ABC reports, when a 17-year-old died after being bitten by a white shark while surfing.