The grief-stricken fiancee of a British expat mauled to death in a shark attack has been unable to return home, it has been claimed.
Diving instructor Simon Nellist was due to marry the love of his life Jessie Ho before he was tragically killed by a great white shark in Sydney, Australia, last week.
The couple were just months from tying the knot, with a date pencilled in for next year after postponements due to Covid.
The parents of 35-year-old RAF veteran Simon are flying over from the UK to comfort Jessie after paying a heartbreaking tribute to their son yesterday.
Jessie is said to have been left so "heartbroken and in shock" that she can't go back to the home they shared, says a friend.
"She's struggling, we all are," the unnamed pal of the couple told the Sydney Daily Telegraph.
With police and other authorities continuing to investigate, locals held a moment of "quiet reflection" at a chapel.
Simon was practising for a charity event in a stretch of ocean he had been to regularly during training.
It was the city's first fatal shark attack since 1963.
The 15ft predator struck just 150 metres from the beach at Buchan Point, near Little Bay.
Simon's remains were found hours later in the water.
In their tribute, his family said he was a "proud Cornishman", having previously lived in Penzance, before making home in Australia with Jessie.
They said: "Simon had a great passion for nature and the sea, as well as being a very talented photographer."
They added they were very proud of him and would "miss him terribly".
Witnesses heard Simon call out for help at just after 4.30pm on Wednesday.
It is understood the shark attacked him vertically, with some experts believing his habit of wearing a wetsuit may have led the predator to mistake him for a seal.
Despite the warm waters, Simon is said to have always worn the suit which is unusual amongst the other local swimmers.
Dr Chris Pepin-Neff, of Sydney University, said the silhouette created by the clothing would have likely confused the shark.
He told news.com.au it's highly unusual for such a sustained attack.
He said while sharks will "test out things all the time", 80 percent of incidents are "hit-and-run" because the predator recognises after one bite we are "not a prey item".
Thus, the majority of shark fatalities are due to loss of blood during a tester bite and not an 'attack'.
Marine scientist Vanessa Pirotta said such occurrences are "rare and uncommon", telling ABC News it is likely "we will never see [the shark] again".
