Police Give Up Search For Swimmer In Australia Double Shark Attack

Perth authorities have called off a search for an experienced swimmer after a double shark attack off a beach in Western Australia.

It was unclear from witnesses if Paul Millachip, 57, was attacked by two sharks or attacked twice by the same 14-foot great white shark, according to police. Some witnesses reported seeing two dorsal fins.

The father of two, who had moved from London to Perth , was swimming off a beach in North Fremantle when the attack occurred Friday morning. Minutes earlier, a group of teenagers had spotted a great white off the beach and jumped in their dinghy to warn people.

They were close to Millachip when he was attacked — and tried in vain to help him.

They “witnessed the attack and … provided police with information on what they saw and heard,” Acting Inspector Troy Douglas told Australian Broadcasting Corp. News.

He called the teens’ attempt to help Millachip a “fantastic effort” but “probably something you don’t want to see .” They also did a “great job of alerting other people on the beach and other swimmers,” he added.

Authorities were attempting to determine if a great white shark circled around to attack Millachip a second time or if the swimmer was also attacked by a tiger shark .

The search was call off after only Millachip’s swimming goggles were found.

“Inquiries will continue based on anything that is washed up or anything that’s found in the future , but at this point the marine search is suspended,” said Douglas, The Yorkshire Post reported. 

Millachip’s wife, who asked not to be named, was sitting on the beach when the attack occurred.

She offered a “special mention to those young lads in the boat for what they did in what must have been an absolutely terrifying experience for them . My heart goes out to them, and I thank them for what they did,” she told journalists at the beach. (Check out the video above,)

They “could potentially have saved other lives,” she added.

“Rest in peace, Paul,” she said. “He died [doing] what he enjoyed doing the most. ... He was a wonderful man, a wonderful father.”

The attack “came out of the blue . But it did happen, you just have to deal with it,” she said.