Australian police said a fisherman fell on a boat during a fishing match on Sunday and was dragged by a shark entangled in the fishing gear.
Search for a character in the NSW Game Fishing Association Paul Barning continued on Monday at around 1pm on Sunday when the 58-year-old fell from his boat with a dark horse, About 34 miles from the coast, authorities said Newcastle near Port Stephens.
Ocean Region Commander Principal Joe McNulty told local news media on Monday that investigators believe the sharks are “big” compared to Barning’s 6.8-meter long ship.
“In the process of bringing the shark to the side, he was struggling on the fishing line. The shark had taken off and that fishing line was tightened, perhaps helping him to cross the boat. The shark attacked the people in the water.” McNu Erti said at a press conference. Barning did not wear life jackets, he added.
Barning, secretary and former president of Port Hacker Game Fishing Club, is a “experienced Game Fisherman”. The game phishing organization said in a statement to social media that he competed in the NSWGFA Interclub state championship at the time of the incident.
“This devastating accident highlights the risk of doing things we all love, fishing,” NSWGFA president Steve Lamond said in a statement. “Please be aware of each other and stay safe.”
Game fishing is a sport where competitors catch, mark and release game fish including marlins, tunas and sharks. The point depends on the type of game fish and its size.
According to the NSWGFA Rulebook, shark species that qualify for points include blue, smooth hammerheads, Mako, Porbeagle, Porbeagle, Thresher, Thresher, Thresher, Thresher, Great White and Whaler sharks. According to police, sharks believed to be Marco can be up to 13 feet long.
The competitors also received prizes for catching the heaviest sharks and the most sharks.
