A diving instructor killed by a great white shark in Sydney is reportedly a man from the West Country.
Simon Nellist was tragically mauled by the shark while swimming off the coast in preparation for a local swimming competition. The 35-year-old had moved to Australia from Penzance, where he grew up, according to Cornwall Live.
Simon, a former RAF serviceman, was due to marry his fiancee after the pandemic delayed their wedding, and has family in Cornwall. The friend told the Sun: "Him and Jessie were due to get married last year but that got put off because of Covid.
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"It's just horrendous. We spent most of yesterday just hoping and praying it wasn't him. It's still incredibly raw. Simon was amazing. That's all there is to say really. He was just the best. He was the nicest, kindest human. It is a huge loss. In the last couple of years we haven't been able to see him because of the Covid situation."
Della Ross, another friend of Simon's, told Australian news site 7 News: "Everything that is connected to Simon is connected to the ocean. The news hit us like a truck because he was one of the people who make this earth lighter.
"He loved the water, he loved diving."
The diving instructor was in the water to prepare for the Malabar Magic Ocean Swim, which was due to take place this Sunday. It's since been cancelled out of respect. Simon died of "catastrophic" injuries almost instantly in plain view of shocked beachgoers.
The attack is the first fatal shark attack near Sydney in nearly 60 years. Despite the attack, local authorities have said they do not plan to kill the shark. Instead, they plan to chase it away from the coast.
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