Shark spotted with the body of a man in its jaws as witnesses look on in horror

By Richard Shears

Feared dead: Brian Guest was snorkelling when a great white shark struck near Perth, Australia

A huge shark - believed to be a great white - rolled over in the water with the body of a man in its jaws in a horror scene described by witnesses.

Bank officer Brian Guest, 51, was grabbed by the shark as he was snorkelling for crabs with his 24-year-old son Daniel off the coast of Western Australia today when the feared monster of the deep struck.

The water turned red with blood as the shark carried the father of three away after the attack, just 25 feet from the beach at Port Kennedy, 20 miles south of the State capital, Perth.

Witnesses on the beach told of seeing a 'flash of fin' but local man Luke Tubbs, who lives near the beach, described a horrific scene in which the shark could be seen with Mr Guest's body in its jaws.

While he did not witness the event personally, he said it had been described to him by another man who had run to his home to raise the alarm.

'He told me he just saw a big splash and then the shark roll over in the water with the guy - and then (he saw) no body or anything.'

Police, emergency services and volunteers search the coastline for any sign of Mr Guest, but his body had not been found several hours after the terrifying attack.

Mr Guest's son was swimming some 20 feet from his father when the shark struck and while Daniel is understood not to have witnessed the actual attack, he realised his father was in trouble when he saw the water turn red with blood.

He swam quickly to the beach, shouting for help. Rescuers later reported they had found parts of a wetsuit believed to belong to the missing man, as warnings went out to beachgoers to stay out of the water.

Attack: Police carry out investigations on Rockingham beach following the death of Mr Guest

There have been reports of a large shark swimming in waters near Rockingham in recent days but it is not known if it was responsible for attacking Mr Guest.

His family insisted the great white responsible should not be hunted down and destroyed, with Mr Guest previously telling his family that if he were ever to fall victim to a man-eating shark then 'so be it'.

His son Daniel, described Mr Guest's 'love and respect for the ocean environment'.

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A shark pictured in the water off Port Kennedy Beach, where Brian Guest was attacked

'He was fully aware of the risks he took diving and would not have wanted to see any shark hunted down because of an attack,' said Daniel.

Supported by his father's younger brother, Bill, Daniel said he regarded his father's disappearance as a random event that should not make people fear the water.

'There will be a time when I will go back into the water. When I'm ready to do that, I'll do that.'

Mr Guest had often said that if he ever fell victim to a shark, then 'so be it'. His family have asked for the shark to be left alone to 'respect' nature

In response to Daniel's appeal - and his father's often-stated wishes - police said there would be no hunt for the estimated 16ft great white responsible for the attack.

In an angler's website in 2004 Mr Guest wrote: 'I have always had an understanding with my wife that if a shark or ocean accident caused my death, then so be it - at least it was doing what I wanted.'

Mr Guest's death came in the early hours of the morning, often considered a dangerous time for swimming during 'shark season' , Australia's summer months.

Jaws of death: A great white is thought to have attacked Brian Guest

There has been a surge in shark sightings around Australian beaches, with a South Australian surf life-saving organisation reporting that its aerial patrol had spotted sharks 39 times so far this summer - the same number for the entire summer last year.

Even Sydney's famous Bondi beach has not escaped a 'visit' from the most feared creature in the sea. A shark's fins being spotted close to the beach resulted in more than 1,000 people being urged by loudspeaker to get out of the water.

Shark experts believe the increase in numbers can be attributed to many more fish being available for the sharks to follow for food.

'Increased sightings obviously lead to the possibility of an increase in attacks, said Andrew Fox, son of Rodney Fox who survived a terrifying great white attack decades ago.

Even people who stand waist-deep in water are not safe from an attack - a few years ago a Western Australian man was attacked when he was wading back into the beach. He died from blood loss on the sands.

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