Australian woman killed by shark

[CaptainK]

MELBOURNE, Australia (SWNW) -- A 21-year-old woman died Saturday after being attacked by a shark off eastern Australia, a rescue helicopter spokeswoman said.

The woman, whose identity was not immediately released, suffered severe injuries when she was mauled by a shark while swimming near North Stradbroke Island, east of the Queensland state capital Brisbane.

After the attack, the woman was airlifted to a local hospital where she had to have both arms amputated just below the elbow, Queensland Rescue Helicopter spokeswoman Helen Anderson said.

"I believe she also had flesh wounds to her leg and torso," she said.

The woman died of her injuries while in hospital, a Queensland state police spokeswoman said on the condition of anonymity following her office's protocol.

The woman had been swimming in shallow water with friends from a local church group when she was grabbed by the shark, Sky News reported. It was not immediately clear what type of shark attacked the woman.

[Bugged]

Why, K?

[CaptainK]

Bugged.

(Do not take this the wrong way).

Why what? Be more precise, in asking questions?

Why? Cause the woman was in the wrong place. At the wrong time.

Shark attacks happen all over this planet. So Australia is not alone in shark attacks!!

[Boracay]

We are getting a few comments and recomendations now that there has been an attack.
Some of the locals have been repoted as saying that there had been many shark reports and that they would not swim in the area.
I also heard that steel drums had been anchored and baits set to catch sharks. If this is true then this may have attracted sharks to the area.
Another report said that the victim had been swimming with her dog and was spearfishing.
I don't know how true these reports were.
So I guess before swimming that some basic precautions would be in order:-
1. Check with locals about any known dangers, not just sharks.
2. Don't swim in muddy or murky water.
3. I don't know if the stories about dogs attracting sharks are true but swimming with a dog may be contraindicated.(splashing and noise are reputed to attract sharks)
4. Blood both attracts and excites sharks, so swimming with blood in the water is not a good idea. It used to be standard practice for spearfishermen to use a float to keep any fish thay speared (and their blood) out of the water.

[BC Mike]

Did you hear about the shark that came to a screaming halt ?
Jack Holt was an earlier prime minister of Australia, he went missing while swimming and it is suspected a shark may have got him.
" The names goff and I'm off " Geof ( pronounced a bit like goff ) Whitlam was another OZZ prime minister who was forced out of office. Those were his parting words.
Michael

[Jentine]

just not swimming with church groups is a good idea.

[Wanderlust]

Sorry if this is continuing a bit off subject, but a couple of minor amendments to the names of the Prime Ministers.

It was Harold Holt who disappeared and Gough Whitlam who was dismissed by the Governor General. I hadn't heard of the quote you mentioned, but Gough's most remembered statement on being dismissed was: "Well may they say God save the Queen but nothing will save the Governor-General".


From Australian Govt archives - Disappearance of Harold Holt -Fact Sheet 144.
Harold Holt disappeared while swimming at Cheviot Beach near Portsea, Victoria on 17 December, 1967. His body was never recovered. Without determining the cause of Holt's death, a joint report by Commonwealth and Victoria Police, submitted in January 1968, concluded that, '… there has been no indication that the disappearance of the late Mr Holt was anything other than accidental'. The report (see copy on file A1209, 1968/8063) found that his last movements followed a routine domestic pattern, his demeanour had been normal and despite his knowledge of the beach, the turbulent conditions (high winds, rough seas and rip tides) overcame him. The explanations put forward for a failure to find the body included an attack by marine life, the body being carried out to sea by tides or becoming wedged in rock crevices.

While a variety of theories have been expounded about Holt's disappearance, the Commonwealth Government did not deem a formal inquiry necessary, accepting the conclusions of the Police report.

[Boracay]

And Whitlam was right.

[BC Mike]

Wanderlust, thanks for providing the correct names. Gough would sound a lot more like goff than Geof.
1967 was a long time ago, and it is OZZY politics. I am pleased I got the basic stories correct. The group can not accuse me of making up this stuff.
Michael