THREE killer sharks are pulled from Gold Coast beach where surfer, 46, was mauled by a great white

Three sharks have been caught near a netted Gold Coast beach where a surfer was mauled to death, as investigations into the attack continue.

Nick Slater, a 46-year-old real estate agent, was fatally bitten on the leg while surfing at Greenmount Beach at about 5pm on Tuesday. 

His death is only the second fatal shark attack at one of Queensland’s beaches protected by nets and drumlines since 1962.

But it has now been revealed the 57km coastline is only protected by 2km of nets, sparking fears beachgoers are not as safe in the water as they once thought. 

Early analysis of a tooth lodged in Mr Slater’s longboard has suggested the 46-year-old was killed by a 3.5m great white shark. 

A photo of the tooth has been released by the Department of Fisheries, revealing it was 45mm long and 30mm wide. 

Queensland Fisheries said two sharks were caught on a drumline and in a shark net near Greenmount Beach on Wednesday. 

‘There was a 3.3 metre tiger shark alive on a Shark Control Program drumline at North Kirra,’ a spokesman said in a statement.

A two-metre tiger shark was found in a net a Currumbin.

‘Further investigations will be conducted to discover if there is any link between it and the fatal attack,’ Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk told parliament on Wednesday. 

On Thursday, a 3.4 metre tiger shark was found on a drumline at Snapper Rocks.  

‘All catches were processed and disposed of in accordance with the Program’s standard operating procedures,’ a Department of Agriculture and Fisheries spokesperson said in a statement. 

‘Tiger sharks are classified as dangerous and included on the Program’s list of target species.

‘The Queensland Police Service is investigating the fatality at Greenmount Beach and will prepare a report for the coroner.’  

There are 27 shark nets at Queensland beaches, along with almost 400 baited drumlines, The Courier-Mail reported. 

Documentary director Andre Borell slammed the state’s shark net program, which has been relied on for more than 60 years.

‘It’s totally unacceptable that our government continue to use safety measures from 1962 that have no scientific backing whatsoever,’ he said. 

Mr Borell said using drone technology and netted swimming enclosures would be a more effective safety measure. 

Before nets were put in place, the last fatal shark attack off a Gold Coast beach was in 1958. 

Mourners descended on Greenmount Beach on Wednesday morning to pay their respects to Mr Slater.

A Westpac Lifesaver Rescue helicopter was circling in the area after first light looking for sharks.

Beaches from Burleigh to Snapper Rocks were closed on Wednesday as lifeguards patrolled the waters on jet skis.

The City of Gold Coast moved to reopen the beaches on Thursday.

‘City lifeguards have advised that Gold Coast beaches will reopen this morning but surveillance by chopper, drone and lifeguards will continue until the weekend,’ the City of Gold Coast said.

‘We advise all beachgoers to exercise extreme caution with baitfish in the water.’ 

Thomas Richard Tate, Mayor of the Gold Coast, offered his condolences to Mr Slater’s family on Wednesday morning.  

‘Last time we’ve had a shark attack is 1958, over 60 years ago,’ he told Today.

‘It doesn’t matter how long it has been, still a devastating shock to the community of the Gold Coast.’  

Mr Tate said the shark attack was a reminder to all beachgoers to ‘look after your mates’.

‘I mean really it brings to reality, when we go off the land we go into water, it is the shark’s domain,’ he said. 

Mr Slater’s close friend Adrian Southern said the pair’s common ground was their love for surfing.

‘I was devastated to hear the news… it was very unlucky, there were about 60 surfers in the water. It could have been anyone out there,’ he told Today.

Mr Southern said the real estate agent was ‘fully aware of the environment he was playing within’.

‘Nick wouldn’t want to see the shark hunted in that respect… it’s only the second attack that’s occurred in those protected beaches.

‘It’s very unusual. But I don’t think he’d necessarily want the shark to be destroyed.’

Footage from a Swellnet surf camera shows Mr Slater sitting in the water at the end of the line-up before the shark grabs him and pulls him under.

Water can be seen splashing around before the black silhouette of the shark swims away. 

Some surfers just metres away seem oblivious to what is happening.

Mr Slater is then seen floating face down in the water before fellow board-riders drag him to shore. 

The bite stretched from his upper thigh to his knee and a tooth from the predator remained lodged in his longboard.  

Coastalwatch footage showed the moment directly after the attack, when a surfer paddled the victim to shore with the help of other beachgoers. 

Lifeguards were seen waiting on the sand before frantically working to treat the severe injury. 

The water was evacuated as lifeguards attempted to save the victim.

Emergency crews rushed to the popular tourist spot but the real estate agent could not be saved.

Mr Slater, who was surfing alone, was pronounced dead minutes after they arrived.

Family and friends have flooded social media with tributes to Mr Slater, who has been described as an avid adventurer.

‘I’ll never forget the look on Dave’s face as we found your car last night alone in the car park, confirmation of our worst nightmare,’ Mr Slater’s good friend Jasmine Robson wrote online. 

‘Expecting you to be back in an hour after catching a few waves.’

Mr Slater’s Instagram page showed a life full of adventure, with most of his pictures captured in the ocean.

‘Just give me sunshine through the autumn, sweet snow to the spring,’ a caption on one of the images said. 

Surfer Jade Parker told 7News he first spotted a school of fish and up to 30 birds near the victim, which is what attracted the shark to the surfer. 

He had been walking along the footpath near a lookout when he noticed some commotion in the water.

‘There were four or five people yelling and pointing at the water, and I looked out to where they were pointing and I spotted a board floating and a body was next to it,’ he said.

Mr Parker just assumed the surfer had been knocked out because he wasn’t moving so he ran down to the beach and swam to the victim, who was in waist deep water.

‘There were about three on the scene before me and they were all trying to drag him in with the board he had. I helped drag him into the beach as well.’ 

When they arrived on the sand lifeguards were waiting with a stretcher but Mr Parker said he was ‘pretty much gone’ by the time they arrived.

Mr Parker said the injury stretched from the ‘groin area to just below his knee’.

‘It was pretty much all taken… there was nothing there, it was just hanging there by not much,’ he said. 

‘Honestly, I do not want to get to the gory parts but he was in a bad way. He was not conscious. It looked like he had already pretty much passed away at that point in time.’

Mr Parker added that the attack would not put him off surfing.

‘I know the sharks are always out there so I will just have to accept that fate,’ he said.