WA shark attack victim identified
The partner of the man who was fatally attacked by a shark off Western Australia’s south coast has released a tribute to the late diver.
Gary Johnson died in a shark attack on Sunday near Cull Island off the Esperance coast. His partner Karen Milligan witnessed the attack and put out the mayday alert over the radio.
In a statement released on Monday, Milligan paid tribute to her late husband.
“Gary was my rock. He was a kind, gentle, strong man,” the statement read.
“He only ever saw the best in people. He will be so truly missed by me, by his family and his friends, and the world will be a poorer place without this most beautiful man.”
Fisheries Minister Peter Tinley said the state government offered its support to Milligan’s family.
“Our thoughts are with her and we are providing any and all support that might be required to assist her to deal with this unmitigated tragedy,” he said.
Milligan said diving was her and Johnson’s passion. “He and I were at home in and on the ocean,” she said.
“We would go out diving in our boat whenever we could, most weekends. We took photos, not fish.
“We were always aware of the risks, and often told each other that if we were attacked by a shark, that would just be unlucky. We were completely against shark culling, and I still am.”
Johnson was the president of the Esperance Dive Club. “The man’s knowledge of the ocean, his ability to dive, it’s just unexplainable how come he was taken by a shark,” Esperance Shire President Ian Mickel told the ABC.
“I’m sure there’ll be a lot of support for [his wife] as the survivor, and certainly around the dive community.”
WA has now seen 16 fatal shark attacks in 20 years, 9News reported.