Great white sharks are the largest predatory fish in the world. (Representative Photo)
The police in Australia are searching for the body of a 55-year-old man believed to have been killed in a shark attack while surfing. According to the BBC, the man was surfing near Granites Beach in Streaky Bay when people reported seeing him being attacked. Local authorities have deployed helicopters and are taking the help of volunteers to search the area by air and water. This was the third serious shark attack in the region this year, the outlet further reported.
The man was further out in the water than other surfers off the beach when the shark attacked him, according to 7News.
"It grabbed him, pulled him back down, brought him back up, pulled him back down again," one witness told the Australian news outlet.
One of the surfers even tried to help the man, but only found his surfboard with a bite mark in it. He and other witnesses told the police hat the shark was about 15 feet long.
"The man's body is yet to be found and the search will continue through to days end," South Australia Police said in a statement.
Authorities have not said anything about the species of the shark, however, 7News has shared a video of a large great white shark swimming in the area immediately after the attack.
Phil McEvoy, who lives in Streaky Bay, told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) that he had heard sirens sounding in the morning "for quite some time".
"I knew then there must have been something wrong, and the sirens sort of went away towards the back beach area where the surf is," he said.
According to 9News, the man was one of six surfers who were in the water at the time.
Great white sharks are the largest predatory fish in the world, and can grow to lengths of 20 feet long and weigh up to 5,000 pounds or 2,268 kg.