20ft. Shark Bites Man In Half

[jus_the_facts]

http://aolsvc.news.aol.com/news/article.adp?id=20050320141909990017

20 Foot Shark Tears Man In Half

AP
March 20, 2005

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) -- Authorities were hunting Sunday for a six-meter (20-foot) shark that tore a man in half as he snorkeled off Australia´s west coast, an official said.

Geoffrey Brazier, the skipper of a pleasure cruiser, was snorkeling with two tourists when he was attacked Saturday. He died instantly off the Abrolhos Islands, about 400 kilometers (250 miles) north of the Western Australia state capital, Perth, police said. No one else was injured.

"The 26-year-old man was bitten in half by the six-meter animal and death seemed to be instantaneous," police Inspector George Putland said.

An air and sea search of the area 60 kilometers (37 miles) west of the coastal town of Geraldton on Sunday failed to find the shark or human remains.

Government fisheries officer Rory McAuley said authorities wanted to kill the shark, suspected to be either a great white or tiger, to safeguard the public.

Residents of the area said the killer was far larger than sharks usually found there. The attack was the first to occur off the west coast since two sharks killed a 29-year-old surfer south of Perth in July.

The 13 crew and passengers disembarked Sunday at Geraldton where they were questioned by authorities.

The fatality is the first in Australian waters since December, when an 18-year-old surfer was bitten in half by a five-meter (16-foot) great white shark off a beach in the southern city of Adelaide. A week earlier, a shark killed a 38-year-old diver spear fishing on the Great Barrier Reef off northeast Australia.

[GreenPartyVoter]

1. Yes, we discussed this last night. It's due to the cleaning of pollution.

Healthier coastlines are drawing the critters back. So not just folks out cruising like this guy would be at risk. We're talking beachgoers too.

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

3. dun dun.........

dun dun..........

[GreenPartyVoter]

7. I have never watched it, and never will! *l*

[Ron Green]

13. Oh, you should watch it. It's Spielberg's last good movie.

[BOHICA06]

2. Capt. Brazier would probably disagree about instantaneous !

But the cruel finality prevents him from doing so.

[Xithras]

11. It likely was

If he was really bitten in half, the blood pressure in his head and upper body would have dropped to zero in a heartbeat. Unconciousness would have been instantaneous, and "death" would have come within seconds. If it bit through his spine, he probably didn't feel a thing.

It may be a bloody and gory way to go, but it should have been (mercifully) painless.

[WI_DEM]

4. I'm not sure I would do too much swimming in Australia

you hear of lots of shark attacks down there.

[jswordy]

5. So now the poor shark will pay the ultimate price for doing what...

...nature wired it to do, to a biological entity that was never intended to be in its habitat in the first place.

Our priorities are so frickin' screwed up.

[sasquatch]

12. Look it obviously needs to be fished out of the water

Most sharks don't attack humans unless they're really hungry, I think they better get Jaws out of the water there before he kills someone else.

[sundog]

6. wow

sorry, I always get all squishy when I hear about some fish or four legged creature munching or pummeling the shit out of a human.

Reminds our cocky human asses that we aren't the ruler of this planet.

[LeftyMom]

8. Bruce is off the wagon again.

[skypilot]

9. Damn.

Pictures of that shark still freak me the hell out!!!!

[sasquatch]

10. "WELL I'M HALF THE MAN I USED TO BE!"

STP
:evilgrin::spank:
Oh Jesus forgive me I couldn't help it.

[sasquatch]

14. Kick