Ethel Beach shark attack: Khai Cowley’s shattered family breaks silence over death of teenage surfer on South Africa’s Yorke Peninsula
The grieving family of a talented young surfer mauled to death by a shark have spoken publicly for the first time to pay tribute to the teenager.
Khai Cowley died on Thursday after his leg was bitten off at Ethel Beach in Innes National Park, on South Australia’s Yorke Peninsula.
His heartbroken grandfather Peter Barley said the family has been overwhelmed by the support from the close-knit community following the tragedy.
The flag at the local surf shop remains at half-mast in memory of Khai.
“So hurtful…I’ve never seen people so hurt, honestly…it’s something to see,” Mr Barley said. Nine news.
‘Every moment I keep thinking he’s just going to keep walking through the front door.
“We are a very close, strong family and we will get through this.”
Khai Cowley (pictured left with his grandfather Peter and uncle Adam) was killed by a shark while surfing on Thursday
Khai’s uncle Adam Barley spent countless hours on the water with his cousin.
“The connection between Adam and Khai – seeing it made me cry sometimes,” his grandfather added.
“When we were in the water, it was like magic.”
“The three of us together, it was magical.”
‘The love that comes his way negates the tragedy.’
Adam said his cousin never took a step back and was known as someone who always had fun and made others laugh.
“He really made the most of life, he didn’t waste a second,” Adam said The advertiser.
‘He was very brave, he surfed bigger waves than his father Tim.’
Khai was out on the water with his father on Thursday afternoon and was attacked by a suspected great white shark.
The family of young surfer Khai Cowley who died in a shark attack say they are reeling from the boy’s death. Pictured are his grandfather Peter Barley (left) and uncle Adam (right)
He tried to swim back to shore when a local resident, Tim Philip, rushed into the surf to try to save him after seeing the young surfer struggling in the water.
Khai was already unconscious when Mr Philip came to him and dragged him back to shore.
“I would say the shark was four meters long,” Mr Philip said – and it was circling him,” he told Seven News.
“I was in waist deep water and just decided to run back… grabbed him and managed to drag him back to shore, back to the people on the beach.”
Devastated residents are struggling to come to terms with the shocking incident – the first in the area in known history.
Ryan Valente, a local skipper with Reef Encounters who knows the Marion Bay region well, said it was unusual to see great whites in the area and could not recall any similar incidents.
“It’s the stuff nightmares are made of,” Valente told ABC Radio on Friday.
‘Yesterday itself was a very grim day in terms of conditions: lightning, strong winds and it was quite a dark day.
Khai’s uncle Adam said the teenager (pictured) was brave and never wasted a moment of his life
The talented surfer (pictured) was remembered as someone who always had fun and made others laugh
Sean Hanna, who has been coming to the beach for 40 years, visited the beach Friday morning after hearing about the boy’s death.
He told the newspaper that he came to the beach to pay his respects to the boy and praised him for doing what he loved, even though he said conditions in the water were less than ideal at the time the teen was killed.
Locals left tributes to Khai with flowers and signed signs placed on the beach in memory of the teenager.
The area’s surfing community plans to organize a paddle out dedicated to Khai and to celebrate his love of the water.
Just two weeks ago before his death, Khai – ranked 146th among 18 surfers in Australia – was named ‘most outstanding growler’ by his local surf club Seaview Road Board Riders.
His grandfather said Khai would not have stopped surfing if he had survived the attack and that he still feels his grandson could have walked through the front door.
A online fundraiser set up by Khai’s aunt has already raised more than $75,000 for funeral and other costs in the difficult months ahead.
Khai (pictured) loved the water and spent countless hours surfing with his grandfather and uncle