Simon Nellist has been identified as the man tragically killed by a shark at Little Bay. Photo / Facebook
The swimmer tragically killed by a shark off a popular Sydney beach on Wednesday has been identified as 35-year-old diving instructor Simon Nellist - who was hoping to marry soon.
A devastated mate revealed the 35-year-old's wedding to the "girl of his dreams" had been delayed due to Covid before he was killed.
The swimmer was mauled to death by a great white shark as he trained for a charity ocean swim, ahead of his planned wedding to Jessie Ho, The Sun reports.
He was just 150m away from the beach at Buchan Point, near Little Bay in Sydney, when the predator struck in Sydney's first fatal shark attack in nearly 60 years.
The British expat's remains were found in the water on Wednesday afternoon following the ordeal.
The tragedy happened as the former Royal Air Force (RAF) serviceman was due to marry "girl of his dreams".
A close friend of Simon told The Sun: "Him and Jessie were due to get married last year but that got put off because of Covid.
"It's just horrendous. We spent most of yesterday just hoping and praying it wasn't him. It's still incredibly raw."
"Simon was amazing. That's all there is to say really. He was just the best."
The friend revealed Simon "fell in love" with Australia after going travelling around six years ago, following two years in the RAF.
The experienced swimmer "really knew the water", they explained.
"He was massively into wildlife and knew exactly what he was doing. He wasn't daft. It's just a freak accident.
"Simon was doing his diving and he would send us the most amazing videos of the wildlife out there. He was so respectful of the wildlife.
"He finished in the RAF about six years ago and he went travelling and then just fell in love with it out there. Then he fell in love with Jessie.
Simon grew up in Penzance, in England's southwest, but hasn't been back for a few years, said the friend.
"His family are still here and they haven't seen him in a few years. It's too sad."
Witnesses said they heard the victim yell out for help in desperation just after 4.30pm on Wednesday.
The great white allegedly "attacked vertically" before dragging the man's body out of the ocean.
Expert Lawrence Chlebeck said that the ferocious shark probably mistook the swimmer – reportedly wearing a wetsuit – for a seal when it launched and attacked Nellist.
He was reportedly training for Malabar's Magic Ocean Swim this weekend, which was cancelled following the fatal attack at Little Bay out of respect for the victim and his family.
"The news hit us like a truck because he is really one of the people who make this earth better," Della Ross, fellow diving instructor and friend, told Seven News, highlighting his love for the ocean.
"Everything that is connected to Simon, to me is connected to the ocean."
Nellist was vocal about his passion.
"Shark net and drum lines protect no one and kill all kinds of marine life each year," he wrote on Facebook six months ago.
After the attack on Wednesday afternoon, NSW Department of Primary Industries temporarily installed six smart drumlines between Little Bay and Malabar to catch the animal as part of a shark incident response plan.
Maroubra MP Michael Daley told ABC News Breakfast the morning after the attack that he had been briefed by police and said the victim swam there "nearly every day".
In a Facebook post on Thursday afternoon NSW Police called on information from the public to assist its investigation.
"The swimmer is yet to be formally identified but is believed to have been a 35-year-old man from Wolli Creek," NSW Police said.
"Police are encouraging anyone who may have seen the man before or during the incident to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. Information is treated in strict confidence."
People fishing off rocks on the point witnessed the attack, with one man capturing a horrific video.
Another witness said the swimmer was right in front of him when he was dragged under the water.
"It was terrible. I am shaking," he told ABC. "It's very, very upsetting."
Beaches to reopen following fatal shark attack
Beaches at Little Bay, Malabar, Maroubra, Coogee, Clovelly and La Perouse were closed on Thursday.
However, swimmers still needed to be told to get out of the water.
At 4.50pm on Thursday, Randwick City Council confirmed beaches would reopen on Friday after no further sighting of sharks in the area.
Lifeguards surveyed the beaches on jet skis and used drones to search for sharks along the coast.
"For tomorrow and for the weekend we will have a number of jet skis patrolling the area and also too we'll have a drone flying at Maroubra," Randwick City Council lifeguard supervisor Paul Moffatt said.
NSW Department of Primary Industries has temporarily installed six smart drumlines between Little Bay and Malabar to catch the animal as part of a shark incident response plan.
Dr Christopher Pepin-Neff, a lecturer in public policy at the University of Sydney, commended the government for closing the beaches after the attack.
"While killing individual sharks does not reduce the risk from shark bites, public education to stay out of the water when sharks are close to shore makes a difference," he said.
"This is a complete tragedy and public officials have a responsibility not to fear monger in the face of disaster."
Shark attacks in Australia
Data has revealed Australia is the worst country for fatal shark attacks, with three unprovoked deaths last year and now one this year.
Wednesday's fatality was the sixth shark attack in as many weeks in Australia since the beginning of the year.
That figure is far greater than anywhere in the world this year, and already half the amount of shark attacks in Australia in 2021.
The fatal attack this week comes just over a week after a 20-year-old woman was bitten by a great white shark on the other side of the country.
Jacquelin Morley was paddling in an inflatable pool ring offshore at Kelp Beds Beach in Esperance, Western Australia when the 3-metre shark bit her.
The young swimmer is lucky to be alive after the horror attack. She managed to swim to shore where locals tended to her before she was flown to hospital in Perth.