Photo: supplied
Local authorities have been searching the waters around South Australia’s Streaky Bay all week for the remains of a man attacked by a great white shark. While the search was still on as of Wednesday, police did finally identify the victim as 55-year-old Tod Gendle after they recovered his surfboard and other “small items.” Those pieces of evidence were then used by the family to confirm Gendle’s identity.
Gendle’s family released a statement through South Australia’s police in response, thanking those who have been helping the effort to continue searching for him and adding that Tod was living his life in pursuit of the best waves Australian beaches had to offer.
“We wish to express our heartfelt thanks to the police and volunteers for their dedicated efforts in the recent days,” the statement reads. “We extend our appreciation to his friends and the local community of Streaky Bay, who had the chance to know Tod. Our thoughts and prayers are with those who were with Tod on that day. During this time, we kindly ask for privacy for our family and friends.”
Police say he wasn’t what they would call a Streaky Bay local, per se, but someone who traveled around the coast a lot and was a “a very competent surfer.”
Gendle was reportedly in the water with about a dozen other surfers at Granite Rock (aka Granites) when the attack happened. A witness account says he was grabbed by the shark and pulled down, then brought back up to the surface before being grabbed again. Jeff Schmucker, a local surfer who saw the attack, raced out on his jet ski to find Gendle. When he did come across a shark he estimated to be around four meters long — presumably the one who’d just attacked Gendle — he found himself being circled. He then found Gendle’s board with a large bite.
As of Wednesday, police said they would continue their search for at least two more days.
The family of a surfer killed by a shark at Granite Rock on the state’s west coast has spoken of their heartache. 7NEWS Adelaide at 6pm | https://t.co/AyOESOqUaE #7NEWS pic.twitter.com/vL79cg3xG5
— 7NEWS Adelaide (@7NewsAdelaide) November 2, 2023
