Latest news with #StevenPayne
NZ Herald
12-07-2025
- NZ Herald
New Zealander killed by shark in Australia was not wearing shark deterrent device he owned
Steven Payne, originally from Wellington, was killed by a shark in Western Australia. A New Zealander who was killed by a shark while surfing in Australia owned a shark deterrent device but decided not to use it on the day he was killed, a coroner has heard. Steven Payne, 37, died after being attacked by a great white at Wharton Beach in Western Australia in March. His body has not been recovered.
1News
11-07-2025
- 1News
Inquest hears tragic details of Kiwi surfer's death in WA shark attack
An inquest has been held following the death of a Kiwi-born surfer who was mauled by a shark in Western Australia earlier this year. Steven Payne, 37, was attacked by a great white shark "between 3.2m and 3.5m in length" at Wharton Beach, east of Esperance in Western Australia on March 10. Drone footage from a witness who happened to be filming at the time of the attack showed the shark swimming away from a large cloud of blood close to the shore. Payne's body was never recovered, but parts of his wetsuit and "distinctive surf hat" were. The Kiwi was living in Geelong, Victoria and his partner and dog were five weeks into a six-month caravan trip around the western half of Australia when the incident happened, according to his family. ADVERTISEMENT The devastating circumstances surrounding his death have now been revealed at a mandatory coronial inquest. The coroner heard Payne was a keen surfer, who had previously been cautious about the possibility of shark attacks and used deterrent devices while in the water, WA Today reported. The inquest heard he was not wearing the device on the day, because he thought it was not needed after leaving South Australia. "[The couple] had discussed wearing [shark deterrents] prior to their visit to Granites Beach," Senior Constable Assisting the Coroner Craig Robertson told the court. "Unfortunately, they thought after leaving South Australian waters it would be safe to enter the water without them." Payne and his partner had also made the decision not to surf at South Australia's Granites Beach after locals warned them about a fatal shark attack there in January. "They were aware of a fatal shark attack at the location on January 2, 2025 and following speaking with locals they ultimately decided not to enter the water," Robertson said. ADVERTISEMENT Perth Now also reported that Payne had been in remission for testicular cancer for three years when he died. Coroner Sarah Linton indicated she would likely determine he died accidentally, and was satisfied beyond reasonable doubt he was deceased. She would hand down her findings at a later date.
Daily Mail
10-07-2025
- Daily Mail
New details emerge after surfer, 37, was mauled to death by shark in front of his girlfriend at Aussie beach
A surfer mauled to death by a great white at a WA beach had decided against surfing at an SA beach a few weeks earlier after locals told him of a deadly shark attack. Steven Payne, 37, from New Zealand, was just weeks into a six-month trip around Australia with his girlfriend and their dog when they stopped for a surf at Wharton Beach on Western Australia 's south coast in March. Mr Payne, who had been in remission from testicular cancer for three years, was surfing in chest-deep water 50 metres from shore at the time of the attack. Shocked onlookers, including his partner who was reading a book on the sand, were powerless to help him as his screams rang out. The rescue operation became a recovery mission after a member of the public shared drone footage of Mr Payne being attacked by the shark with police. His surfboard was found nearby with bite marks, but authorities were unable to find his body. The Coroner's Court of Western Australia heard on Wednesday that Mr Payne owned a shark deterrent device but did not wear it as he thought it would not need it once he left South Australia. The inquiry was told that he and his partner Catherine had chosen not to surf at Granites Beach in SA after locals mentioned a fatal shark attack in January, PerthNow reported. The inquest was told Mr Payne went into the water with two other surfers about 10.15am on March 10 while his girlfriend Catherine Birch relaxed on the shore with their dog Poppy. After 90 minutes, she ran to the water's edge when she spotted a commotion. 'Catherine then realised that the commotion was where she had last seen Steven and the victim of the attack was wearing the same distinctive sun hat that he wore,' Acting Sergeant Craig Robertson said. 'From what she witnessed, Catherine immediately knew that Steven was dead.' He said the DNA testing from Mr Payne's damaged surfboard revealed a 100 per cent match for a great white. The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development's Dr Steven Travers assessed the drone footage, concluding the shark was between 3.2-3.5 metres long. Sgt Robertson told the inquest the other surfers could not help Mr Payne, as they had each reached a nearby rock and the shore. 'The attack concluded by the shark dragging Steven down into the large circle of blood-stained water that surrounded them... He was never seen to resurface following that,' he said. Investigators who assessed the drone video found 'the images show Steven sustaining injuries and blood loss which are incompatible with life', the inquest heard. Deputy State Coroner Sarah Linton told the inquest Mr Payne's death would likely be ruled a fatal accident. Mr Payne and Ms Birch had been together for 12 years and adopted their dog, Poppy, seven years ago. The trio were five weeks into a six-month caravan trip around the western half of Australia, his family said after the incident. 'Just a week ago, Steve surfed one of the best waves of his life, sharing the wave with a dolphin. He was stoked,' they wrote in a statement. The family said Mr Payne would not support a shark cull or any attempt to kill the shark responsible. 'He and his partner spent a lot of time in the ocean together, had enjoyed many dives with sharks and knew the risks,' they said. The inquest heard it took emergency services 40 minutes to reach the remote beach on March 10. It was then closed as the search operation began but the hunt was called off after two days. Police have suggested Mr Payne's body may have been taken from the location by the shark but teams did find his sun hat, two pieces of his wetsuit and foam believed to be from the damaged nose of his board. Western Australia Police Force Senior Sergeant Christopher Taylor described Ms Birch as distraught following the ordeal. 'Her life was turned upside down,' he said in March. 'You can imagine how she is, it's just horrible. 'It is heartbreaking obviously and the whole community of Esperance feels the pain - not as much as the family, they're distraught and trying to come to terms with what happened.' Witnesses described seeing a 'massive shark' launching itself at the surfer in the water. Mr Payne first picked up surfing while studying at the University of Otago in Dunedin, NZ. It was a passion he maintained after moving to Geelong, on Victoria's southern coast. 'We are devastated to have lost Steve,' they said. 'Steve was one of the best. A gentle giant, he was smart, kind, funny, laid back and very practical. 'While he wasn't a man of many words, he loved his partner deeply, cherished his family, thought the world of his best mates, and was devoted to his dog.' Mr Payne worked in Melbourne as a sales and marketing director and a volunteer firefighter. He grew up in Lower Hutt, near Wellington, and school friends described him as a talented rugby player. It's understood that Mr Payne and his partner had previously lived in Namibia, South Africa. Authorities arrived at the remote beach at 12.10pm on March 10, before closing the beach to commence a search.
ABC News
08-07-2025
- ABC News
Shark attack victim Steven Jeffrey Payne did not use deterrent device before final surf, inquest hears
A man who was killed by a shark off WA's south coast earlier this year had decided not to wear his shark deterrent device before going into the water, an inquest has heard. Steven Jeffrey Payne was surfing at Wharton Beach, 93 kilometres east of Esperance, in March when he was taken by a great white shark. The Coroner's Court heard the 37-year-old had entered the water soon after arriving at the beach and was out for about 90 minutes when his partner, Catherine, saw a "commotion". "It took her a few seconds to realise she was witnessing a shark attacking a surfer," counsel assisting the court Acting Sergeant Craig Robertson said. There were only two other surfers in the water at the time and Catherine could see the victim was wearing the same hat that Steven wore. A tourist using a drone captured vision of part of the attack. "Investigators have viewed the footage and have no doubt the images show Steven sustaining injuries and blood loss which are incompatible with life," Acting Sergeant Robertson said. The shark dragged him down and he never resurfaced. Esperance Police Sergeant Harriet Collins, the only person to give evidence at the inquest, said Mr Payne would have succumbed to his injuries quickly. She said that when emergency services got involved "it was a recovery mission and not a rescue". Sergeant Collins told the court it was deemed to be too dangerous to put divers into the water. A multi-agency search got underway, with marine rescue vessels conducting grid searches. The search was suspended after two days. Mr Payne's sun hat, pieces of his wetsuit and part of his board were found on the beach. Mr Payne, who was described as a "gentle giant", was on a six-month caravan trip with his partner and their dog. The court heard that a few days before arriving in Esperance, the couple had visited Granites Beach, where there had been a fatal shark incident in January. "Following speaking with locals ... they ultimately decided not to enter the water," Acting Sergeant Robertson told the court. "Steven and Catherine both own shark deterrent devices and had discussed wearing them prior to their visit to Granites Beach. The type of shark deterrent device was not specified in court. Acting Sergeant Robertson said Esperance had experienced a significant number of shark attacks in recent years and the WA government had installed three shark warning towers. "However, there is always a known risk of attack in these waters," he said. Soon after the March incident, there were calls from some locals for stronger action from the WA government, and specifically for the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development to try to catch a shark involved in an attack and remove it. It was noted that the land-based warning towers which use lights and audio to warn beach users were at Twilight Beach, West Beach and Kelp Beds, but not Wharton Beach. The inquest was held because Mr Payne was considered a "long term missing person". Deputy Coroner Sarah Linton, who is yet to complete her full findings, said she was satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that he was deceased, saying it was a "horrific way to lose someone".
Sydney Morning Herald
08-07-2025
- Sydney Morning Herald
Inquest told of fateful decision before surfer killed in Esperance shark attack
An inquest into the death of a man killed by a shark in waist-deep water heard he made the fateful decision to not use a deterrent device before surfing on Western Australia's south coast earlier this year. Melbourne man Steven Payne, 37, was just five weeks into a six-month holiday around Australia when he was attacked close to the shore at Wharton Beach, near Esperance, on March 10. A drone operated by a tourist inadvertently filmed the shark attacking Payne from the rear, before he was dragged under 'blood-stained water'. Payne's brother Matthew attended the inquest on Tuesday before Coroner Sarah Linton, who heard details of the attack. The coroner heard Payne was a keen surfer who had previously been cautious about the possibility of shark attacks and used deterrent devices while in the water. 'A few days prior [to the attack], the couple visited Granites Beach, South Australia with the intent of surfing,' Senior Constable Assisting the Coroner Craig Robertson told the court. 'They were aware of a fatal shark attack at the location on January 2, 2025 and following speaking with locals they ultimately decided not to enter the water. '[The couple] had discussed wearing [shark deterrents] prior to their visit to Granites Beach. 'Unfortunately, they thought after leaving South Australian waters it would be safe to enter the water without them.'
