Sydney shark attack victim's family mourns tragedy; 'Simon was a gentle human being'

A British swimmer who spoke about the need to conserve marine life became the victim of a rare shark attack in Sydney, Australia. The 35-year-old Simon Nellist has lost his life in the fatal shark attack which happened in nearly 60 years, BBC reported. 

Paying a tribute to the British swimmer, Nellist's family described him as a "wonderful human being" as well as an extremely skilled photographer.

According to the family member, “Simon was a gentle, kind and wonderful human being. He was a cherished fiancée, son, brother, uncle and friend," BBC reported. The family also stated that he had a tremendous enthusiasm for nature and the sea.  

The British swimmer, who was residing in Sydney's Wolli Creek neighbourhood, was engaged to his Australian fiancée Jessie Ho, whom he regarded as the 'woman of his dreams’.

According to BBC, Nellist was a regular swimmer at the beach and was a member of the city's Scuba Diving Social Club. Nellist's friend Della Ross told 7NEWS Australia that he used to educate people to "respect the ocean" because it was the shark's natural environment. 

The 13-foot-long predator attacked Nellist from below at Buchan Point at Little Bay, in east Sydney, some 500 feet from the shore, on Wednesday afternoon. Following the tragic incident, the family members of Nellist have paid homage to him, further noting that he had a "rare gift" in connecting with others. 

Furthermore, according to the Daily Mail, an hour after the attack, his remains and fragments of a wetsuit were discovered in the water. At about 4.35 p.m. (local time) on February 16, Wednesday, emergency services were dispatched to Little Bay after reports of a swimmer being attacked by a great white shark came in, Independent reported.

Simon Nellist was against putting shark nets as it causes harm to marine animals

Shark attacks on humans are considered to be rare in Sydney since the city’s oceans have long been protected by nets and other repellents, as per BBC. Further, Nellist, who was an experienced diving instructor, last year, had written about the damage shark nets had on sea life. 

Nellist used to swim in the region on a daily basis but was against putting swim safety measures such as a net for humans as it causes harm to marine animals. He wrote on Facebook on August 11 last year, “Shark net and drum lines protect no one and kill all kinds of marine life each year,” Daily Mail reported.  

Furthermore, Sea Shepherd Australia, a conservation group, characterised shark nets and drumlines as "destructive" and alleged that they have killed "thousands of sharks and rays, hundreds of turtles, dolphins, and whales," as per Independent.

In addition to this, when Nellist was killed by the shark, the former RAF engineer, who was based from Penzance in Cornwall, UK, was supposed to have been training for a charity event, the 5k Malabar Ocean Swim. The charity program has been canceled by the organisers to show respect, as per the Independent.  

Furthermore, according to Lucky Phrachnanh of the New South Wales state ambulance, Simon Nellist had "suffered catastrophic injuries as a result of the attack," and added that the paramedics could not do anything when they reached the scene, Independent reported.  

(Image: Unsplash/ representative Image)