AUTHORITIES deployed baited lines to try to catch a giant great white shark that devoured an ocean swimmer, as beach communities in Sydney, Australia, are rocked by the first such attack in decades.

Drones scoured the ocean from the air, spotters launched on boats and six drum lines were set to try to catch the creature, which is supposedly at least 3m in length.

Police believe they have identified the victim, a 35-year-old swimmer who was attacked on a sunny afternoon yesterday, leaving shocked golfers and fishermen to watch helplessly from nearby cliffs.

A rescue helicopter and four ambulances were despatched, but the victim perished after suffering what emergency responders described as “catastrophic injuries”.

It is the first fatal shark attack in the largest city in the country since 1963.

“Based on footage provided by the public, including eyewitness accounts… shark biologists believe that a white shark, at least 3m in length, is likely responsible,” said the state government’s Primary Industries Department.

It announced it is deploying “six SMART drumlines” around Little Bay Beach, near where the attack occurred in the east of the city.

Drum lines feature hooks loaded with bait and are used to trap sharks that can then be tagged and moved to deeper ocean away from the coast.

Their use is controversial because hooked animals have been known to die before being moved, and non-target species can become snagged.

‘We all know the risks’

The attack has rocked beach communities in the east of the city, where being in the water is part of everyday life.

Each morning before dawn and later as the sun sets, surfers, swimmers and paddleboarders flock to the waves to work out or take a break from the strains of work life.

According to Sports Australia, 4.5 million Aussies swim regularly and at least 500,000 surf.

Dolphins, whales, rays and several species of shark live along the coast, and it is common to spot animals in the water or hear the ringing of shark alarms urging everyone back to the beach.

But most Sydneysiders take the risk in their stride.

“We all know that we take a risk every time we get in the water,” said 45-year-old Kim Miller, who took up ocean swimming when she returned to Sydney in 2020.

At the beginning, she admitted “I was scared of fish and seaweed. I did have a real fear around it”.

“When I first started seeing grey nurse sharks at (nearby) Maroubra, I thought I’d run on water. But it was such a peaceful, beautiful experience that I found myself diving down to get closer to them.”

As 13 beaches across the city are closed today, swimmers’ WhatsApp groups filled with graphic images of the attack and messages to check if friends are safe and well.

An 800-competitor ocean swimming race scheduled for the area on Sunday has been postponed.

“It has hit a little bit closer today when we heard it was a long-distance ocean swimmer, knowing it is a route that we have done so many times,” said Miller.

“I feel a little bit sick this afternoon.”

Her morning swim was confined to an ocean pool today, but she insisted “eventually, we will all have the courage to get back in”.

“I know it is going to take a while to get those images out of my head.

“A lot of the time when I am swimming, it is with the hope of seeing beautiful sea life, or not even thinking about it. It is going to take some time to get back to that.” – AFP, February 17, 2022.