Tragic footage shows moment Sydney father attacked by shark on the Northern Beaches
Shocking footage has captured the moment a shark killed a beloved local surfer on Sydney’s Northern Beaches before his mates desperately pulled him back to shore.
CCTV looking onto the beaches of Long Reef and Dee Why showed the moment the shark strikes, with water spraying into the air for about 10 seconds.
Mercury Psillakis, 57, was left with horrific injuries and died after being pulled to shore by other surfers in the water.
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Psillakis was an elite athlete and a local business owner who grew up on the Northern Beaches.
He leaves behind a wife and young daughter, who was preparing to celebrate Father’s Day with him tomorrow.
“He was just a good bloke to everyone. I don’t think you’ll find anyone on this beach to have a bad word to say about him,” his friend Sean Pearce told 7NEWS.
“He helped out with everything. He was just a great guy.”
Pearce had photographed Mercury at the beach on Friday.
Surf camera footage captured the desperate response to try and save Psillakis, showing a surfer running towards the surf club house as news spread of the attack.
More surfers and surf patrol could be seen rushing to the scene, but attempts to save his life were unsuccessful.
Heartbroken family and friends were consoled by police as they arrived at the scene to confirm the unbelievable news.
Police said the victim’s surfboard was snapped in half during the attack.
The area was taped off as officers began inquiries with government officials to determine what type of shark was involved.
A tagged great white shark was detected off North Narrabeen, just north of Dee Why, at 8.31pm on Friday night.
Three drumlines were set with bait off Dee Why on Saturday morning to lure sharks for tagging and tracking.
Since the attack, another two drumlines have been deployed.
The beach also has a shark net.
As a precaution, Dee Why beach will remain closed until at least Monday, possibly longer.
All beaches from Narrabeen to Manly are closed until at least Sunday.
“I think it’s going to send shockwaves through the community. I think everyone’s going to be a little bit nervous for a while,” a local said.
