The British swimmer who was eaten by a great white shark off the coast of Australia was training for an upcoming charity event, reports the Daily Star.
It’s not often we hear of Brits getting attacked by sharks, let alone killed and eaten, but Simon Nellist, 35, became the first person to be killed by a shark in Sydney for almost 60 years when his death was confirmed on Wednesday.
The swimmer, who was described as “experienced” when it comes to activities in the ocean, didn’t stand a chance after a 13ft-long great white shark mistook him for a seal and went in for the kill.
Tragically, Nellist, who was understood to be training for an upcoming charity event during the time of the attack, was torn in half and partially swallowed by the beast, with his remains being found around an hour later.
The report by the Daily Star notes that he was merely 500ft away from a busy beach at the time. The great white will now be chased off by authorities, rather than being killed as a punishment for its crimes.
The charity event which he was due to compete in has now been cancelled following the closure of the beaches along Sydney’s coastline. We hope that it will be rearranged and completed in his honour.
Awful. Just awful. Pray for solace for his family.