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10/10/2011 Bryn Martin ( Australia ) *** Fatal ***

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alb
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Re: 10/10/2011 Bryn Martin ( Australia ) *** Fatal ***

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Shark took Cott swimmer, inquest hears

A swimmer who disappeared off Cottesloe last year was attacked and killed by a great white shark, police and a shark expert have told an inquest into his suspected death today.

State Coroner Alastair Hope indicated he would find that 64-year-old Bryn Martin was killed by a shark while going for his regular morning swim at Cottesloe Beach on October 10 last year.

Closing the inquest into Mr Martin's death, Mr Hope said there was overwhelming evidence that the keen swimmer had died and that he was taken by a great white.

Mr Hope indicated his findings would reach the conclusion that Mr Martin's death was an accident.

His family declined to comment when leaving court this afternoon.

Mr Martin, who was described by his family as a strong swimmer, had taken a morning swim at Cottesloe Beach for more than a decade, Counsel assisting the coroner Sergeant Lyle Housiaux told the court.

On the morning of his disappearance, Mr Martin had gone on his regular morning swim to a buoy about 500m offshore.

He was last seen swimming towards the buoy about 150-200m from shore.

His ripped bathers were found on the ocean floor but despite an extensive sea and air search, no other trace of Mr Martin has ever been found.
Today, Department of Fisheries senior research scientist Rory McAuley, who examined the bathers, told the inquest the tear marks on Mr Martin's blue and black Speedos were consistent with the bite marks of a white shark.

Cottesloe Police Senior Sergeant Denise Grant told the inquest she believed there was no doubt Mr Martin was attacked and killed by a shark.

Outside court, Sen. Sgt Grant said the family was relieved and thankful for the investigation into Mr Martin's death.
"They're very thankful for the investigators and all of those involved in the search process for their missing husband and father," she said.


She said the inquest would hopefully provide the family with some closure after what had been a difficult 14 months.

"I spoke to Diane (Mr Martin' wife) and she's very relieved. This is a good day," Sen. Sgt. Grant said.

Opening the inquest this morning, Sgt Housiaux said witnesses recalled seeing splashing and a disturbance in the water as well as a dark shadow in the vicinity where Mr Martin was last seen.

But no witnesses could confirm seeing Mr Martin being attacked by a shark or getting into any difficulty in the water.

The inquest was told that in response to a number of shark fatalities in WA, the Government announced a series of initiatives, including research projects, to help reduce the number of shark attacks.

Outside court, Dr McAuley said white sharks were a rare species and it was crucial that research be allowed continue so they could be better understood.

"We're now entering the data collection phase where we hope, in a few years time, to collect enough data on sharks occurring in these areas to work out what the environmental conditions and patterns are that lead to patterns in sharks' movements."

According to a Department of Fisheries report released last month, the risk of white shark attacks remains very small but has increased slowly over the past two decades with an unprecedented number of attacks in the 12 months to September 2011, the inquest was told.

Speaking about the findings of recent research, Dr McAuley said: "attacks have occurred much more frequently some distance off shore, they tend to have been more frequent in cooler water conditions, which might be expected for a species which prefers cooler temperate waters".

"I wouldn't say there is any usual pattern of attack and therefore I wouldn't say there is usually any particularly unusual pattern of attack," he said.
Mr Hope is expected to deliver his findings later this month or early next year.

au.news.yahoo.com
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alb
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Re: 10/10/2011 Bryn Martin ( Australia ) *** Fatal ***

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Nets ruled out as the shark toll keeps rising
Dianne Martin, wife of Bryn Martin, and her son Alistair Martin talk with police and supporters at Cottesloe Beach yesterday. Picture: Tony Ashby Source: The Australian
Dianne Martin, wife of Bryn Martin, and her son Alistair Martin talk with police and supporters at Cottesloe Beach yesterday. Picture: Tony Ashby Source: The Australian
Dianne Martin, wife of Bryn Martin, and her son Alistair Martin talk with police and supporters at Cottesloe Beach yesterday. Picture: Tony Ashby Source: The Australian


SHARK nets will not be introduced in Western Australia despite yet another fatal attack at Perth's popular Cottesloe Beach that claimed the life of prominent businessman Bryn Martin.

It was the sixth shark death on the west coast in 11 years.

As police, lifeguards and search and rescue volunteers last night scaled down their search for the remains of the 64-year-old, whose bathers were found on the seabed with tears that experts believe were caused by a great white shark, his family spoke of a loving father and husband who loved the sea and knew the dangers of ocean swimming.

"Dad was always involved with water sports. He loved his morning swim and was aware of, and accepted, the risk," his son Alistair said.

Boats, jet-skis, quad-bikes and helicopters will this morning continue the land and sea search for Mr Martin.

Another Mosman Park businessman, Ken Crew, was taken by a shark in similar circumstances in 2000. The two men are believed to have known each other.

Mr Martin was last seen at 8.10am on Monday as he swam to a buoy 400m out.

Not even lifeguards saw what happened in the murky and overcast conditions.

WA Premier Colin Barnett was forced to defend the introduction of a summer lifeguard program at Cottesloe well before any air patrols -- meant to start next month -- had begun. Mr Barnett said the frequency and period of the patrols had increased significantly under his government and Surf Life Saving WA was waiting for a new helicopter from New Zealand that would carry out more effective patrols than a plane.

Mr Barnett said he did not believe netting beaches was a solution. "I don't favour the use of shark nets; that has been looked at," he said.

"I think patrols are the best defence we can offer."

There have been six fatal shark attacks in Western Australia since the 2000 attack on Mr Crew just north of where Mr Martin was taken.

In 2005 Brad Smith, 29, was attacked by two sharks while surfing off Gracetown, 290km south of Perth. The same year 26-year-old Geoffrey Brazier was killed by a 6m shark while snorkelling at the Abrolhos Islands off the state's midwest coast.

Brian Guest, 51, was taken by a giant white pointer while snorkelling near his beachside home about 50km south of Perth in 2008.

Last August, Nicholas Edwards, 31, was mauled, again at Gracetown, and last month 21-year-old bodyboarder Kyle James Burden was instantly killed by a great white at a southwestern surfing break called Boneyards.

Fisheries WA shark scientist Rory McAuley said there was good reason for West Australian swimmers to be particularly cautious this summer.

"There has been some very obvious shark activity over the last few months," he said.

"We've received a lot of reported sightings from up and down the coast."

Dr McAuley said the effectiveness of netting Perth beaches to deter sharks was limited. It worked better in NSW where there were lots of curved bays, while the Perth coastline was straight.

Senior Sergeant Denise Grant said the Martin family was in torment and police focused on finding Mr Bryn's remains.


http://www.theaustralian.com.au/
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alb
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10/10/2011 Bryn Martin ( Australia ) *** Fatal ***

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Search continues for suspected shark attack victim

Bryn Martin, the chief executive of James Point Pty Ltd, consortium
Bryn Martin, the chief executive of James Point Pty Ltd, consortium
bryn-martin.jpg (15.23 KiB) Viewed 25321 times
A land, sea and air search is continuing at Perth's Cottesloe Beach for missing swimmer, Bryn Martin.

The 64 year-old Mosman Park man is thought to have been taken by a shark.

Mr Martin entered the water in front of the Indiana Tea Rooms early yesterday morning and was 300 metres offshore when he disappeared.

His bathers were found on the ocean floor seven hours later.

His son, Alistair Martin says the family accepts he is not alive and is devastated by the tragedy.

"Firstly we're extremely grateful to the police, lifesavers, defence personnel and volunteers for their efforts in searching for my dad," he said.

"Dad was always involved with water sports, he loved his morning swim, he has always been an avid diver so the ocean was a huge part of our life.

"He was aware of the risks, you know, we'd spoken about it before and he knew what the risks were and he accepted them.

"There'll be a lot of people who'll miss him."

A shark scientist Roy Macleay says the tears in the speedos' fabric indicate Mr Martin was the victim of a shark attack.

"The damage I saw to the gentleman's bathers certainly resembled damage I've seen previously with victims of shark attacks," he said.

Senior Sergeant Denise Grant says experts believe it was a large shark.

"Our information on a preliminary examination was that the tearing was consistent with that of about a three metre great white shark," she said.

"What that information tells us is that our concentrated efforts on this search now are recovery, as opposed to the hopes of finding Mr Martin alive, sadly have faded."

Senior Sergeant Grant says the family accepts Mr Martin will not be found alive but a search to recover his remains will continue.

"It's heart-breaking from a policing perspective to see a family go through so much trauma when there are no answers at the moment," she said.

"I take it that's my job is to try and give the family their answers and that's what I'm working on today along with our colleagues from water police and surf lifesaving."

Mr Martin is the chief executive of James Point consortium which is planning to build a private port near Kwinana, south of Perth.





Closed

A few swimmers braved the water this morning despite Cottesloe beach being closed.

Peter, who normally swims every day, says he is worried.

"You know, nobody saw it happen and yeah obviously it was a big shark, must have taken all of him, otherwise you would have seen, you know, something floating on the top," he said.

The last fatal shark attack off Cottesloe claimed the life of Ken Crew who was taken in knee deep water at North Cottesloe in November 2000.

A regular swimmer at the beach, Gerry Ventouras, who is there this morning, was in the water when his friend Ken Crew was attacked.

"Ken was taken within metres of us when we were all swimming and that memory is long lasting, of course that incident is long lasting, and every day you think about it when you hit the water," he said.

Mr Ventouras says it may take some time before he returns to swimming at the beach.


http://www.abc.net.au/
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