Outline:
A Tragic Encounter with a Great White Shark
In 1985, a horrifying shark attack occurred in South Australia that would be remembered as one of the most tragic in history. Shirley Ann Durdin, a 33-year-old mother of four, was leisurely diving for scallops in the tranquil waters of Peake Bay when she became the victim of a brutal attack by a Great White shark. The incident took place on a seemingly peaceful March Sunday at Wiseman’s Beach, where danger lurked beneath the surface.
Eyewitnesses described the shark as being up to 20 feet long, an immense predator that savagely tore Shirley apart in a moment of frenzy. All that could be recovered from her body was a headless torso floating in the water. Her husband and children, who were watching from the shore, could only witness the horror unfold.
Her husband’s desperate cry from the beach was heartbreaking: “She’s gone, she’s gone.” The four children—Jason, Tanya, Carla, and Sonya—were all under twelve years old at the time. They and their father were left helpless, unable to do anything but watch as their loved one was taken by the sea.
Response to the Attack
In the aftermath of the attack, a search was initiated for the shark, as reported by the Lincoln Times at the time. The Port Lincoln Game Fishing Club, along with abalone divers, launched an extensive hunt for the deadly creature. A net placed in the area was found bitten in half, and fish bait was scattered in the Bolingbroke area in an attempt to lure the shark out of the water.
A warning was issued to the public advising them not to swim in the general vicinity of the attack. A gathering involving the Game Fishing Club, Port Lincoln Diving Club, abalone divers, and worried Tumby Bay residents determined that the shark must be killed. A Diving Club representative, Peter Hurrell, suggested that the shark which killed Shirley was either wounded or extremely elderly.
“(Shark experts) say sharks are not partial to human blood so the shark must be too slow to catch its normal food,” he said. He added: “The shark has been called a rogue and must be destroyed. An attack could happen again.”
The Hunt for the Predator
Port Lincoln Police patrolled Wiseman’s Beach after the attack. Divers were deployed into the ocean depths but discovered nothing. Choppy waters initially hindered the hunt for the creature after the Fisheries Department’s 8.2 metre Shark Cat patrol boat was unable to locate it following a three and a half hour search.
Subsequently, local State Emergency Service personnel, and police, combed the Peake Bay region in the SES rescue boat. Senior sergeant Gerhardy said police did not have any reports of sharks being in the Peake Bay area before the attack.
A Memorial for a Lost Life
A memorial service for Shirley was held at the Port Lincoln Uniting Church, where friends, family, and community members gathered to honor her memory. The tragedy left a deep impact on the local community, raising awareness about the dangers of swimming in areas known for shark activity.
Despite the efforts to find and eliminate the predator, the shark was never located, leaving many questions unanswered. The incident remains a grim reminder of the unpredictable nature of the ocean and the potential dangers it holds.
