April 16, 2018 - Gracetown, South Australia: Tensions are running high in Western Australia after two separate shark attacks occurred on the same day.
The first attack occurred in the morning at Cobblestones near Gracetown in Western Australia. A 37-year old surfer. Alejandro Travaglini, was bitten three times during the attack. The incident was described as similar to the “Mick Fanning moment at Jeffrey’s Bay” where the surfer was knocked off of his surfboard and immediately thrashed around by the shark. Miraculously, the surfer was able to body-surf to the beach on his own, where people on the beach applied First-Aid, using a surfboard leash to tourniquet his bleeding leg. The man was airlifted to the hospital and is listed in stable condition. (ABC - W. Australia)
The incident prompted the World Surf League (WSL) to immediately put The Margaret River Pro surfing competition On Hold.
Shockingly, just a few hours later at 3pm the same day, 41-year old Danish surfer, Jason Longgrass, was attacked by what is being reported as a 13-foot Great White at a nearby surf spot called “Lefties”. Lefties is just a few miles from Cobblestones in Gracetown. The surfer suffered only minor injuries to his leg and was treated on site. His surfboard suffered a massive bite mark several inches down from the nose of the board. (WA Today - W. Australia)
The bite mark left Jason Longgrass' in surfboard after being attacked by a shark off the coast of Gracetown only hours after another attack earlier in the day. (Photo: Gian De Poloni, ABC South West @GianDePoloni)
The Margaret River Pro has been called Off for tomorrow due to lack of swell, however, tensions are running high in the wake of the two shark attacks. Tomorrow's competition (Tuesday in Western Australia) has already been called off and all surfers / WSL competitors have been advised not to surf in the area.