Search for shark continues after fatal attack

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jeffnz

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#114699 28-Feb-2013 07:34

"Helicopters will be back in the air this morning looking for the shark which attacked and killed a man swimming at Muriwai Beach on Auckland's west coast.Husband and father of one Adam Strange died after being attacked while swimming from Maori Bay around a headland into Muriwai, around 200m offshore.
Aerial searches will take place this morning in the search for the shark, which is estimated to be around 3.5 metres long and was shot at by a police officer, possibly more than once. It is not clear whether it has been killed.
"We do not know at this stage if he hit the shark, but the shark rolled off and disappeared," Inspector Shawn Rutene said yesterday."

Very sad for all concerned but it happens.

Human nature is curious and I have as yet to understand the need for retribution, if indeed this is what they are seeking.

One can sort of understand in the cases where it was human v human as in the burning down of houses of David Bain and David Grey (even then it seems almost medieval) but when we seek to destroy something that was doing what it does, surviving, in its own environment I have difficulty in condoning this but there seems to be an acceptance that this is the right thing to do.

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#771410 28-Feb-2013 07:39

hmm ... reminds me of *dum dum dum dum dum dum dum dum* ...

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lurker

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#771411 28-Feb-2013 07:46

IIRC when some of these sharks start eating humans they'll start coming back for more. At least that's a reason I've read in the past as to why they hunt down and kill the creature.

John2010

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#771450 28-Feb-2013 09:08

lurker: IIRC when some of these sharks start eating humans they'll start coming back for more. At least that's a reason I've read in the past as to why they hunt down and kill the creature.

And I read that they can identify the shark that has turned man-eater, from all the innocent ones that are swimming around, because man-eating sharks paint little human emblems on their sides. Sorta like spitfire pilots did in WW2. Oh and the Red Baron did too; saw that in a comic once.

vexxxboy

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#771459 28-Feb-2013 09:14

lurker: IIRC when some of these sharks start eating humans they'll start coming back for more. At least that's a reason I've read in the past as to why they hunt down and kill the creature.

Jaws has a lot to answer for lol , in studies it has been shown the great white dont actually like humans and dont get a taste for them.

Common sense is not as common as you think.

crackrdbycracku

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#771525 28-Feb-2013 10:11

Gee, if only we had this kind of effort when someone died in a car crash, or drowned for that matter.

Oh, that's right less than 10 people die world wide from shark attacks per year so it is interesting when it happens.

I hope the shark gets away, it was only doing what comes natural.

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NonprayingMantis

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#771527 28-Feb-2013 10:12

John2010:
lurker: IIRC when some of these sharks start eating humans they'll start coming back for more. At least that's a reason I've read in the past as to why they hunt down and kill the creature.

And I read that they can identify the shark that has turned man-eater, from all the innocent ones that are swimming around, because man-eating sharks paint little human emblems on their sides. Sorta like spitfire pilots did in WW2. Oh and the Red Baron did too; saw that in a comic once.

I think they just question each shark "did you eat a person" and if they refuse to adeny it they know the shark is guilty.

jeffnz

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#771548 28-Feb-2013 10:32

crackrdbycracku: Gee, if only we had this kind of effort when someone died in a car crash, or drowned for that matter.

Oh, that's right less than 10 people die world wide from shark attacks per year so it is interesting when it happens.

I hope the shark gets away, it was only doing what comes natural.

well maybe even extending the same behavior from the police when it comes to tracking child killers. Oh thats right we can as human guilty bastards have rights the animal kingdom doesn't they just get hunted to satisfy some ancient ritual cleansing.

maybe with sharks they can be accorded the defence of having been brought up in a lower socio economic ocean.

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BlueShift

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#771561 28-Feb-2013 10:41

jeffnz:
crackrdbycracku: Gee, if only we had this kind of effort when someone died in a car crash, or drowned for that matter.

Oh, that's right less than 10 people die world wide from shark attacks per year so it is interesting when it happens.

I hope the shark gets away, it was only doing what comes natural.

well maybe even extending the same behavior from the police when it comes to tracking child killers. Oh thats right we can as human guilty bastards have rights the animal kingdom doesn't they just get hunted to satisfy some ancient ritual cleansing.

maybe with sharks they can be accorded the defence of having been brought up in a lower socio economic ocean.

Actually, it was hatched offshore from Capetown, it may be a lethal weapon, but in NZ it has diplomatic immunity.

networkn

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#771564 28-Feb-2013 10:43

Shooting into water to kill a shark would have been fairly pointless, beyond a few cm of water, bullets are pretty harmless or so say Mythbusters.

Scary though!

Bung

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#771565 28-Feb-2013 10:45

The cop has admitted to firing at least 12 shots at the shark. He needs to know how many hit so that he can complete the paperwork and hopefully avoid firearms retraining :)

crackrdbycracku

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#771566 28-Feb-2013 10:45

@jeffnz

I'm a former scuba instructor, we regularly dived with sharks including a bull-shark once all without a cage. One of the things I told every student is the we are in 'their' (sea creatures or all shapes and sizes) world. They have the right to do what they want, if you don't want to accept that don't dive.

On a very deep level humans have a hard time accepting that there are things out there which can and might eat us; to dominate us to put it another way.

Chasing the shark with a helicopter is basically a typically, sadly, human response to being faced with this challenge to our superiority. The thing is a three to four meter shark is big until you look at the ocean, they are not going to find it.

Shark attack injuries usually aren't that much worse than similar car crash injuries. The reason they are often fatal is that they take place in the water a long way from medical help.

I would also like to make clear that none of the above is said to take away from the tragedy of the death Adam Strange. It is incredibly sad when someone in the prime of life dies unexpectedly. I hope those who cared for him can take some solace from the fact he died doing something he loved.

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jeffnz

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#771585 28-Feb-2013 11:09

@crackrd well put, I was taught the same when I was learning to dive. The response is sad but not helped by the media and public that almost thirst for retribution.
Agree on the tragedy it will be hard on his friends and family and also those that witnessed it and the emergency services attending.

Sharks are predators they kill to eat be it fish, seals or anything else that ventures into its territory, it has nothing to do with "maneaters", they may not like the taste but some might not have the luxury of being choosy.

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#771587 28-Feb-2013 11:12

My father in law was diving heading to the surface with his best friend a few years ago. He saw a flash of black and his best friend was essentially cut in two with only his top half remaining. My Father in law said it could have taken either of them, he was so lucky it wasn't him. Shark didn't come back thankfully.

That stuff terrifies me.