Swimmers return to Sorrento Beach month after fatal shark attack
The Sorrento Slugs, a 40-year swimming group, have returned to the exact spot where Greg O'Neill was killed by a shark last month.
The Sorrento Slugs have swum at the same spot for four decades, but the group now feels the weight of tragedy. A shark killed father Greg O'Neill just 15 metres from shore in the same area last month, the first fatal attack in the beach's recorded history.
David Hobson, who returned for a swim on Sunday with fellow Slugs Bruce Wainwright and Geoff Brown, said the attack has changed their sense of safety. "We believed for a long time this was a very safe beach, and now that safety sense has gone," Hobson said.
The swimmers rejected the old shark barrier that was removed more than five years ago, saying it had holes and was pointless. They would return only if a properly designed enclosure, like the one at nearby Dunsborough, were built.
Why it mattersA fatal attack at a beloved daily swimming spot raises questions about beach safety and whether defences work, especially as locals grapple with returning to their routine.
AustraliaWestern Australian swimmers now face renewed debate over shark barriers and beach safety as a popular daily routine becomes a calculated risk.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 5 h ago
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