Sergeant Anderson said a couple walking on the beach about 8am (WST) saw him sitting on his board waiting for a wave but when they turned around four minutes later, he had disappeared. Cowaramup Bay near Gracetown - the scene of the fatal attack. Credit:Channel Ten "They just saw the board only and a lot of grey objects around the board," Sergeant Anderson said. "They've gone down a bit further and seen the fellow face down in the water amongst the rocks." It took the pair another six minutes to wade in and pull the unconscious surfer from the water. Sergeant Anderson said he was believed to already be dead but one of the rescuers tied a tourniquet and began CPR with the help of surfers who were suiting up in the carpark at the time.

"It appears that his right leg has been shredded with some significant injuries to the top of his leg and minor injuries to the calf," Sergeant Anderson said. About 10 minutes later his board washed up to shore after being bitten in half. Police and the RAC rescue helicopter raced to the beach and rushed the man to Margaret River Hospital for treatment, but he succumbed to his injuries. The Shire of Margaret River has closed the beach for 24 hours. Police and the Fisheries officers were doing sweeps of the water to try to locate the shark. They could not confirm the species of shark or what would happen to it if it was found.

he must have really wanted to make it, he was a real fighter. Desperate fight to save a 'brother' Gracetown surfer Rob Alder, who performed CPR on the dying man, said he did what he could in a desperate effort to save a "brother" surfer's life. "I took my leg rope and used it as a tourniquet because he had a severe laceration and we put him on my surfboard to bring him up the beach," he said. "But we realised it was too hard so we began mouth to mouth resuscitation and CPR." While this was happening, his friend ran along the beach screaming at other surfers to get out of the water.

"He looked like he was in deep shock. He was unconscious," Mr Alder said. "We got colour back into his face and cared for him, and tried to bring him back to the surface," he said in a shaky voice. He said it looked like there had been a single bite that tore through the man's calf and thigh. He also noticed the man was wearing a wedding ring. "I feel so sorry for his wife, family and friends," Mr Alder said. "He made an incredible, heroic journey to the beach.

"Where he got to from where his board was, he must have really wanted to make it, he was a real fighter." Notorious surf spot The Gracetown area is a well-known and notorious surfing spot. A popular local surfer, 29-year-old Brad Smith, was killed by a shark while surfing at Lefthanders beach in July, 2004. There were reports Mr Smith was attacked by two sharks, thought to be great whites, but the type of species was never confirmed. "That part of the West Australian coast is notorious for sharks and it's also notorious for surfers," Sergeant Graham Clifford told radio 6PR.

WA world number two surfer Taj Burrow, who is currently taking a break from the world championship tour to holiday back home with his family in Yallingup, said news of the attack sent shivers down his spine. "The waves have been absolutely pumping so to hear that was the most shocking thing ever," Burrow said. "The Bay is one of the spookiest place for sharks down here for sure, you always hear stories about them being spotted." Burrow said he's had a couple of hair-raising moments with sharks both in Australia and overseas but it was something he tried not to think about. He will fly to Tahiti on Thursday to contest the Billabong Pro event. "When something like this happens it really brings you back to reality," he said.

"This is a terrible tragedy and my thoughts are with the friends and family." Surfer Paul Paterson, brother of former professional WA surfer Jake Paterson, said lone-surfing was usually not a problem, but at this time of year sharks were known to follow whales and salmon to the area. "There's a lot of whales in really close and that seems to attract the sharks this time of year," Paterson said. "March, April and May is a very dangerous season because its the salmon season and it increases the probability of sharks." "That inquisitive bite tends to be a little bit more lethal than a taste unfortunately."

He said South Point beach was a very protected spot and a good place to surf after a big storm. "The last guy that got attacked by a shark was just around the corner, which is only about one or two kilometres away," he said. Big wave surf legend Mitch Thorson was surfing at the beach with his son last night and said the area wasn't any different to other spots when it came to shark attacks. "I reckon that most guys who surf get bombarded with so many shark images from the media, but you put it out of your mind when you're out there," Thorson said. "It's like getting in a car and thinking 'if I drive out onto the highway I might be hit by a truck'. You just put it to the side."

He said he expected most surfers would stay out of the water for the next few says out of respect for the man's family. "But I'd say (the victim) wouldn't want people to stop surfing altogether," he said. Hunt for a killer

A Department of Fisheries boat has left Busselton to track down and identify the type of shark, but weather conditions may force it to turn around. Fisheries southern region manager Phil Shaw said the boat was on its way to Cape Naturaliste where it would be decided whether it would continue.

"The weather looks like it's going to make it tough, there's a three and a half metre swell and building, and the wind is coming up," Mr Shaw said. "That will make it difficult to see anything in the water." Mr Shaw said the department would make an assessment on the danger the shark posed if it could be found, but said that assessment was very subjective. He said the last resort would be to kill the shark. "We'd have to determine what ongoing risk the animal posed if it's hanging around and keeps going ashore," he said. Loading

"Normally (the sharks) disappear. Very rarely do we see them again afterwards." Mr Shaw said if the weather hampered today's search another boat could be sent out tomorrow.