A surfer fatally mauled by a shark at a remote beach in Western Australia was on a six-month holiday with his partner and pet dog.
Steven Payne, 37, was attacked on Monday at Wharton beach, east of Esperance, and his remains were yet to be recovered, police said.
Drone footage shot by a witness captured a shark swimming away from a large cloud of blood close to the shore.
A surfboard with bite marks was recovered from the water and emergency services searched for Payne.
“Unfortunately, that search has not recovered the surfer’s body, and I can also confirm that our search is a recovery, not a rescue,” Sen Sgt Christopher Taylor told reporters on Tuesday.
He said Payne, his partner and his “loving dog” were on a six-month travelling holiday when he was attacked.
“I’m led to believe they were four to five weeks into that holiday, which obviously has come to an abrupt end,” Taylor said. “It is heartbreaking.”
Payne’s family were distraught and trying to come to terms with what happened, Taylor said.
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“The whole community of Esperance feels the pain,” he said. “We’ve been through this before and it hurts a lot.”
Payne’s presumed death is the fourth fatal shark attack since 2017 in the area, about 800km south of Perth.