Surfer dies after losing both legs in great white shark attack in Australia

A surfer has died after losing both legs in a shark attack off the New South Wales coast in Australia.

Japanese national, Tadashi Nakahara, 41, was attacked at Shelly beach, a popular tourist spot in Ballina, at around 10am on Monday.

It is thought Nakahara was sitting on his board waiting for a wave when the shark came up behind him and grabbed the back of the board and his legs in its mouth.

Speaking to the Guardian, local surfer, Allan Baldock,said the shark swam past other surfers before attacking the man, adding: ""It went whack and he was thrown into the air ... it must have been a huge, huge shark."

Officials also believe it was a very large shark. Ballina Shire mayor David Wright said: "For a shark to take the board and the person sitting on it, it's got to be very big."

Other surfers and his friends did everything they could to stem the blood loss but he died at the scene.

According to Fox News, Mr Wright added: "Because both legs were gone, he bled to death very quickly."

The attack came just a day after another man was bitten by a shark just 12 miles north at Seven Mile Beach.

Jabez Reitman, a 35-year-old surfer, was bitten by what he described as a seven to 10ft shark at the beach near the tourist town of Byron Bay.

Richmond Local Area Command crime manager Detective-Inspector Cameron Lindsay described the attack as a "tragic accident", and told the Australian Daily Telegraph: "We are now concentrating on searching the area and seeing if we can locate that shark and also any remains.

"There was quite a number of witnesses.

"There was damage to the surfboard of this person. They'll be examined as well as the injuries."

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