Lance Appleby was the victim of a shark attack at Granites Beach. Photo: South Australia Police//Handout
The search has concluded for the body of South Australian surfer Lance Appleby. The 28-year-old was surfing Granites Beach near Streaky Bay in South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula, when witnesses saw him attacked by a shark. Now, after four days of unsuccessfully searching for Appleby’s body, emergency services have called off the effort, ass ABC News reports.
Just after 7pm on Thursday, emergency services were called to Granites Beach on South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula, responding to reports of a surfer being attacked by a shark. In response, the beach was closed and South Australia Police and State Emergency Services began what would become a days-long effort to find him.
Soon after Appleby’s identity was revealed, one of his friends, a surfer and shark fisherman named Jeff Schmucker, called for the animal responsible to be hunted and killed. “[There is] no point looking for anything out there,” he said. “Lance’s body’s inside the shark and the shark’s probably not very far away. If they want to do something about it, they should do it now. Fisheries have the power to give a destruction order, but the government doesn’t have the balls.”
During the search, police were able to recover a surfboard from the water, but no further sign of Appleby. On Sunday, they finally made the call to stop looking.
An outpouring of support has come from Appleby’s family, friends and community, including a GoFundMe that has raised 99,000 AUD as of writing. “No matter where Lance lived or worked, he always made deep connections within the local community and formed lifelong friendships,” wrote organizer Kayla Petty. “He was the kind of person everyone wanted to hang out with. He loved sports, traveling, FaceTiming family, coffees, bear hugs, fulfilling his uncle duties, and most of all, spending time with his mates.
“Forever young, forever surfing, forever loved.”
