The diver, 49-year-old Peter Clarkson, a highly experienced abalone fisherman, had surfaced with a catch of the large molluscs when he was dragged under yesterday.
The incident, off Coffin Bay on the Eyre Peninsula, was witnessed by the cover boat skipper, Howard Rodd. The pair had worked together for several years.
Clarkson was well known amongst his peers who, according to ABC News, were “rocked” by the loss.
The diver had previously used a Shark Shield electronic shark deterrent. However, according to several reports, it was not confirmed whether or not he was wearing one when the sharks struck.
In 2002, Clarkson had been wearing a Shark Shield when he came face to face with a great white while decompressing mid-water off Kalbarri, in Western Australia. It swam off.
Searches by marine police and fisheries crews were continuing today for any trace of Clarkson’s body or equipment.
There had been a recent increase in sightings of great whites in the area, with one abalone diver reporting that a great white had brushed past him two weeks ago.
It is the second occasion on which Rodd has lost a diving colleague, seemingly to a shark. In 2000, when his boat capsized off Ceduna he struck out for shore, but companion Danny Thorpe elected to remain with the upturned craft.
Rodd reached land after a marathon swim, but no trace of Thorpe or the boat was found, bar a badly torn lifejacket.
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