Man killed by shark at Byron Bay

A man has died as a result of injuries sustained in a suspected shark attack near Byron Bay.

• Swimmers already back in the water just hours after attack
• Police close Byron Bay beaches for 24 hours
• Victim's wife was on the beach at the time of the attack
• A history of fatal shark attacks in NSW

A MAN has died on NSW's far north coast after being attacked by a shark believed to be a 3-metre great white this morning.

Police have confirmed 50-year-old Paul Wilcox and his wife were on the beach when the shark attacked at about 10.30am.

Police spent the day using helicopters and jet-skis to try and scare it out to sea.

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Paul Wilcox / Picture: Supplied Source: Supplied

Byron Bay Main Beach / Picture: Twitter Source: Channel 9

Mr Wilcox's wife Victoria at the scene. Source: News Corp Australia

They have not ruled out culling the shark if it continues to menace the area but say the great white is a protected species.

Just hours after the tragedy, swimmers were spotted heading back into the surf.

A Channel 7 helicopter took this footage of a shark close to Byron Bay's Main Beach soon after the fatal attack. Source: Supplied

A shark spotted swimming close to shore off Byron's Main Beach. Source: Supplied

Lifesavers chase a 2m shark, not believed to be the attacker, out to sea off Byron's Main Beach after the attack. Picture: Twitter Source: Supplied

Mt Wilcox was formally identified by a relative on the beach. He was from Byron Bay.

The beach was not patrolled at the time of the attack because the patrol season is due to start next week.

The victim's body lies on the sand covered by a sheet after the fatal attack. Picture: Brian Pamphilon Source: News Corp Australia

Locals were already back in the surf this afternoon.

Veteran Byron swimmer Richard Buxton, 70, urged authorities not to hunt the killer shark down.

"They shouldn't go and hunt the shark down, it's not the shark's fault - it's the shark's backyard," he told The Daily Telegraph.

"We volunteer to swim there." Mr Buxton, who swims the bay daily, said the tragedy would not stop him going back in the water.

"I'd still go for a swim now," he said at the scene of the attack.

"We've had one tragedy in about 20 years. We know they're (sharks) there, we swim with them all the time. I hope and pray nobody tries to go and hurt this one."

Tweed-Byron Inspector Bobbie Cullen said the species of shark was unknown, however a shark expert from Sea World told Channel 7 it was believed to be a four metre white pointer.

Inspector Cullen said a rescue chopper was monitoring it and would attempt to "relocate" the animal.

Police address the media at Byron Bay today. Picture: Twitter Source: Supplied

"It's not confirmed at this stage but it looks like it's a great white. I'm pretty sure he (the victim) was out swimming on his own. His wife was on the beach at the time," she said.

"He was only 15 or 20 metres from the beach. Police on arrival immediately had everyone out of the water and I think it was approximately 20 minutes later we had lifesavers closing the beach and erecting signs.

"Obviously, the witnesses are extremely distressed and we will be taking formal statements off them and (what happened) will become a lot clearer."

This man was spotted heading into the Byron Bay surf just hours after the fatal attack. Picture: Kathleen Skene, Gold Coast Bulletin, Twitter Source: Supplied

Insp Cullen praised the bravery of the kayaker who went to the victim's aid and brought him to shore.

Newcastle lawyer Mark Hickey, 52, was one of the first people on the scene and saw a "six or seven foot" shark. He could not identify the species and only saw a fin.

"I saw what looked like seaweed but it was blood in the water," Mr Hickey said.

Kayaker Mark Hickey pulled the victim from the water. Picture: Brian Pamphilon Source: News Corp Australia

"I thought it was a dead turtle, but then I could see the shark circling and the object moving.

"The shark came back to him and had another go. I didn't know it was a person — but when I realised I ran out and waded to the bank and grabbed him and did CPR but it was too late

"I brought him back in and worked on him on the beach."

The tourist brought the victim into the beach on his white surf-ski.

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Tourists Christian and Michelle Campano, in Byron Bay from Sydney for a wedding, said there were plenty of people in the water at the time of the attack.

"We were about to hire boards and go out right there," he said. "There were still heaps of surfers in the water."

Police have closed beaches from Tallows to Belongil for 24 hours as a shark was sighted in shallows near the site of the attack.

Police speak with witnesses at Clarkes Beach next to the body of the shark attack victim. Source: Supplied

NSW Ambulance paramedic Andrew Chapman told The Daily Telegraph at the scene that a "man died of a bite mark above the knee" about 10.30am.

"It was a fatal bite with major blood loss. He probably died in the water because there was no blood loss on the beach," Mr Chapman said.

Mr Chapman said there had been a lot of "blood in the water".

It is believed the shark victim was doing the popular ocean swim from The Pass back to Byron Bay out past the breakers.

A NSW Ambulance spokeswoman said the man was pulled from the water with a serious leg injury.

He was treated by a doctor at Clarkes Beach but died from his injuries.

Locals assess the scene of the attack. Source: DailyTelegraph

Lachie Pennefather, who lives 100m from Clarkes Beach, said local surfers did a roll call this morning.

"Everyone is texting each other to see if he was a local," he said.

"At the moment we can't see because there's just a white marquee covering up.

"They've cleared the ocean but there are still quite a few onlookers."

The area in which the attack occurred. Source: Supplied

Byron Winter Whales member Syl Reid told The Daily Telegraph sharks were around all year round.

"It's that time of the year we're the food chain is moving up and down the coast," Mr Reid said.

Mr Reid said the Stingrays was an informal group of swimmers who swam from the Pass most days.

The Whales host the Byron Bay Ocean Classic in May, attracting more than 1000 swimmers every year.

Mr Reid said he had not noticed any increase in the amount of bait fish or shark activity in recent weeks.

Marine biologist and Byron Bay resident Dougal Pennefather said the water at Clarkes Beach had been murky for the past few days, due to the rain.

"I'm in the water there everyday, I didn't go today because I had an appointment," he said. "I'd seen a few (sharks) there recently though."

Tathra shark attack victim Christine Armstrong and her husband Rob. Picture: Supplied Source: News Corp Australia

This attack comes after Christine Armstrong was killed by a shark on her daily morning swim with husband Rob at Tathra Beach, on the state's south coast, on April 3.

The 63-year-old was an experienced swimmer, who had been swimming at that beach for about 14 years.

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