16 Nov 2022

Great White sharks tracked after fatal attack at BOP beach

From Checkpoint, 5:52 pm on 16 November 2022

A coroners recommended more research on great white sharks to reduce the risk of future attacks following a fatal mauling at Waihi beach last year.

Nineteen-year-old Kaelah Marlow died of cardiovascular shock due to massive blood loss caused by a single shark bite to her right leg while she was swimming at the Southern Bowentown end of the beach.

Her friends had gone back to shore and lifeguards, concerned Kaelah was out too far, were already heading out to check on her when the attack happened.

Coroner Michael Robb made several recommendations including a tagging and satellite monitoring programme for great whites in the North Island, while acknowledging funding is an issue.

Marine biologist and shark scientist Dr Riley Elliot gave advice to the coroner and is basically crowd funding tagging research.