Police search for body after man mauled by shark in Streaky Bay, South Australia

A surfer is feared dead after witnesses saw him being mauled by a monster 13.75-foot shark at an isolated beach spot.

The 55-year-old man was attacked by a Great White near Granite Rock south of Streaky Bay, South Australia about 10:20pm on Tuesday.

Emergency services mounted a full-scale search for the man’s body, which has not been found.

Surfer Jeff Schmucker who was at the scene raced out on a jetski to find the man, but was circled by what he believed was a 13.75-foot great white shark.

“It attacked him from the side. He went under once and came up again and went under again and that’s the last the lad saw of him,” he told 7News.

He told 7News he found the remains of the 55-year-old’s surfboard with a large bite mark and had filmed a 13.75-foot shark he believes is the one who attacked the man.

The man struggled but was no match for the huge shark, according to another witness.

Eyre and Western Police immediately responded and initiated a search with the assistance of Police Water Operations, PolAir, State Emergency Service and local volunteers following the reports of the attack.

Granite Rock is a well-known Great White breeding ground and the attack happened in front of several beachgoers.

The Adelaide Advertiser reports a witness described the scene as “pandemonium”.

“It happened close in near the surf break,” she said.

The attack comes just weeks after Pamela Cook was bitten by a shark at Beachport in the state’s southeast.

Cook was bitten on the leg, suffering serious injuries in the early morning maul.

She was attacked just before 8am while swimming with local community group Beachport Sea Urchins and Slugs near the town’s jetty.

It also follows the death in May of teacher Simon Baccanello, who was believed to have been killed by a shark while surfing at Walkers Rock near Ellison on South Australia‘s west coast.

A witness claims he saw a shark drag Mr Baccanello underwater.