Duke of Orleans Bay: Emergency services responding to reports of a shark attack at popular beach

There are grave fears for a missing surfer attacked by a shark after his surfboard covered with bite marks washed up on shore at a popular beach east of Esperance.

A search was launched off Wharton Beach in Cape Le Grand, 60km east of Esperance, after authorities were alerted to the incident, which happened in front of shocked witnesses, just after noon on Monday.

The surfer, a man in his 30s, was reported to be in distress. A surfboard covered in bite marks was found a short time later, but there was no sign of the surfer.

A St John WA spokeswoman said two ambulances rushed to Wharton Beach after receiving a triple-0 call just before 12.10pm, arriving at the remote scene an hour later at 1.10pm.

“It is believed the surfer was the victim of a serious shark bite incident,” a police spokeswoman said.

“A shark was sighted in the area a short time prior and beachgoers left the water.”

A man who was among several witnesses who watched on helplessly told 9News that the surfer’s partner was also on the beach when he disappeared in chest-deep water around 50m from shore.

“She was shocked,” he said.

“We heard the screams to everyone to get out of the water.”

The search for the missing surfer, led by marine rescue personnel, police and SES volunteers, was suspended late on Monday but was expected to start again at first light on Tuesday.

Tony Carmichael, who was visiting the beach for the first time, told the ABC there were several people on the beach at the time of the attack.

“Everyone was staring at the water in disbelief,” he said.

“Numb. I just feel really numb. I was expecting to go in the water myself.

“You think you might be safe but you just never know.”

A shark sighting was reported 50m from the shore at Wharton Beach at 12.15pm, according to the SharkSmart website.

Authorities declared Wharton Beach closed just after 2pm on Monday, with the closure to be reviewed after 24 hours.

Little Wharton Beach was also closed a short time later.

Swimmers were urged to “stay away from the area” and to report all shark sightings to Water Police.

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development confirmed it was “assisting WA Police with a serious shark bite incident”.

Take additional caution in the Wharton Beach area,” the department said.

“DPIRD is working with local authorities and further information will be provided as it becomes available.”

Wharton beach is located in the Duke of Orleans Bay, which is renowned for its picturesque coastline, with locals calling it the “The Duke”.

It is a popular location for surfers, swimmers and snorkelers.

Esperance has been plagued by serious shark attacks in the past two decades.

In 2022, Nedlands 20-year-old Jacquelin Morley was sitting in an inflatable pool ring when she was bitten about 200m from shore at Wylie Bay. She was flown to Perth with serious injuries but survived.

Popular Esperance local Gary Johnson, 57, died in a suspected attack by a great white shark while scuba diving in January, 2020.

Just 10 months later, local surfer Andrew Sharp, 40, was killed at Kelp Beds — the same place where 17-year-old Laeticia Brouwer was fatally attacked by a shark in 2017.

Bunbury man Sean Pollard also lost his left arm and right hand when he was mauled at Kelp Beds in 2014.

In 2006, Zac Golebiowski was 15 when a great white bit off his right leg above the knee while he was surfing at Wharton Beach.

“Wharton Beach holds a very special place in my heart,” Mr Golebiowski told Nine.

“It’s still my happy place. Today’s news has cut me to the core and left me in deep shock.”

Esperance marine operations coordinator and former abalone diver Marc Payne — who has had numerous personal encounters with sharks — said the constant shark alarms and attacks have had a traumatic effect on the tight-knit local community.

“We only have a small group of divers and surfers, so it really has a big impact on our ocean-going community,” he said.

“We’re getting quite a lot of sightings and shark interactions nowadays, a lot more than we did in the past. It seems to be getting worse each year.

“These ongoing sightings and obviously the attacks that go with it is quite traumatising on our community.”