Millachip’s wife, who does not want to be named, says ABC News Australia that her husband often went swimming at Port Beach, located in the Perth suburb of Fremantle on Australia’s west coast.
On Saturday, he went into the water around 10 o’clock in the morning.
Shortly afterwards, around 10.10, two young people in a boat nearby report that a man has been subjected to a shark attack.
The young people are said to have seen the man struggling in the water, before he was pulled under by what is stated to be two sharks, the newspaper writes Perth Now.
CLOSED: After the shark attack on Saturday, the beaches in the Fremantle area were closed. Photo: Richard Wainwright / AAP Image / AP / NTB
view more
– Potentially saved more lives
A large-scale search for the man was launched, but on Sunday the search operation was called off, and Millachip is believed to have died. The search crews have only managed to find a pair of diving goggles, which have been sent for analysis, writes Perth Now.
– It is difficult. Very difficult, says the wife to ABC News.
– We have been told in detail what they have done and how the search has been carried out, and they have been extremely thorough and extremely professional. We are really, really grateful for that, she says.
view more
–
She also sends a thank you to the two teenagers who reported the incident.
– A special thank you to the boys in the boat and what they did. It must have been a very scary experience for them. So I send warm thoughts, and thank them for what they did. Thank God no one else was hurt. They have potentially saved other lives.
In addition to his wife, the 57-year-old leaves behind two children, writes 7News Australia.
That’s why they attack people
– Really shocked
Police could not confirm on Saturday how many sharks were involved in the attack, but a spokesperson has said that there was talk of “obviously at least one shark”. According to witness descriptions, a white shark and a tiger shark may have been involved.
Jane Atkinson, who sells coffee from a van on the popular beach, tells ABC News that sharks have been observed at the beach before. However, this is the first time she knows that any of them have attacked.
– I am in shock and disbelief that this could happen at 10 in the morning on such a nice day, she says.
– I am really shocked that this has happened on our beach.
The father witnessed nightmare attacks
Western Australian Prime Minister Mark McGowan tells 7News Australia that it’s a terrible situation.
– The events at Port Beach yesterday are horrible and it is very, very sad. A family is now mourning the loss of a man. It’s a terrible situation, says McGowan.
After the attack, all the beaches in the area were closed. according to The Guardian they will remain closed until the end of January, because the pink snapper fish spawn at this time, and this tends to attract sharks.
–
