A hero surf lifesaver who dragged a woman mauled by a shark from the water at Coogee Beach has shared his views on shark culling. Charlie Verco, 24, raced towards Leah Stewart after she was bitten by a great white shark about 30 meters offshore between the flags on Saturday morning.
Verco's Call for Better Beach Safety
Looking back on the attack, Verco said more needed to be done to improve beach safety. "There's definitely something happening in recent year where there's been more shark attacks, I reckon, in the last year than I've heard of in Australia in my entire life," he told 2DayFM Breakfast on Tuesday.
Despite witnessing the traumatic incident firsthand, he said he does not support calls to cull sharks. "However, I'm also against needless killing of animals," he said. "I think we've just got to leave it up to the experts to find a solution and I'll be happy if that solution doesn't involve culling."
The Rescue
Verco was on a long paddle between Bondi and Maroubra when he spotted the shark dragging Stewart through the water. Swimmers around him tried to pull themselves onto his 18-foot paddleboard to get out of the water, but he had to tell them they were close enough to shore and he needed to help the victim.
But that decision did not come easily. "I became really frightened and absolutely all I wanted to do was paddle into shore," Verco said. "I felt somewhat of an obligation just because I was on a board. I realized that once, if I had paddled in, then she would have been all on her own out there and it was kind of hopeless at that point." He said he battled conflicting thoughts — confidence in the water on one hand, and uncertainty about how to deal with a shark attack on the other.
Verco paddled through blood-filled water knowing the shark was still nearby, describing it as "one of the scariest things" he had ever experienced. "Once I had her next to me, I was just going, 'keep your head above water, keep breathing, you're doing really well, we're almost at the beach'," he told 7NEWS. "Just anything, I guess, to fill the silence. It wasn't conversational. She was not in a great way."
He eventually helped bring Stewart to shore, where lifeguards, an off-duty critical care doctor, paramedics and beachgoers rushed to help.
Support for the Victim
Verco said he spoke with Stewart's family on Monday and was relieved to hear she was surrounded by support. "Obviously they're going through a lot, but it was really nice to speak to them and hear a few details because I was as in the dark as everyone else up until that point," he said. "She's got a very supportive environment around her and they've said she's very strong, she's doing very well. But yeah, it's still a very critical situation."
He also urged Australians to donate blood, saying hospitals were in constant need of supplies. "If anyone is in a position to donate, it would be really appreciated by the hospitals," he said.
Call for More Shark Surveillance
Central Coast councillor Jared Wright said Saturday's incident highlighted the need for more shark surveillance programs and shark listening stations at beaches across NSW. "Before the weekend, Coogee Beach didn't have an active drone patrol program or a shark listening station, despite it being one of the busiest beaches in NSW," he said. "I have always been of the view that these protection measures need to be rolled out at as many beaches as possible, as quickly as possible. They are highly effective in helping keep beachgoers safe and are a more modern and innovative solution to shark nets."
