A fisherman has gone missing in Australia after reportedly being pulled into the ocean by a shark.
According to The Sydney Morning Herald, 58-year-old Paul Barning was participating in the NSW Game Fishing Association’s interclub state championships off the coast of Newcastle on Sunday, Feb. 23, when he became entangled in a line that had been hooked onto a large mako shark.
NSW Police Force superintendent Joe McNulty said the “tragic accident” occurred as crew attempted to tag and release the shark, according to the outlet.
“After the entanglement we believe the shark has submerged, pulling the man into that water,” NSW McNulty said in a press conference on Monday, Feb 24, per 7NEWS Australia.
“We believe the shark was quite large. Their vessel was only 6.8 metres in length,” McNulty said, adding that Barning “tragically” wasn’t wearing a life jacket, which “might have assisted in his recovery.”
According to The Sydney Morning Herald, McNulty added, “During that process of bringing the shark alongside, he’s become tangled in the fishing line, and the shark has taken off, and that fishing line was pulled taut and maybe contributed to him going over the side of the vessel.”
Marine Rescue NSW volunteer staff.
Alamy
“There’s no evidence to say that shark has attacked the person in the water,” he continued.
The outlet reports that mako sharks can range between 60 and 140 kilograms.
Three other men who were on the same boat as Barning tried to rescue him, however, they were only able to pull the shark onboard, with there being no sign of the fisherman, according to the outlet.
On Monday morning, the NSW Police Force shared in a news release that the multi-agency search for the missing man was continuing after being “suspended at last light” the previous day. Authorities added that emergency services were alerted that a man had fallen overboard at 1:35 p.m. local time.
PEOPLE has reached out to the NSW Police Force for further comment.
Following the accident, the New South Wales Game Fish Association shared a press release about Barning.
“As most of you are probably aware we lost a much loved revered member of our community during the NSWGFA Interclub tournament,” the release read.
“Paul Barning, current secretary, past president and life member of Port Hacking game fishing club was a highly experienced game fisherman,” they added. “He was tragically lost at sea in the most unlikely of circumstances whilst fishing on his boat Dark Horse off Port Stephens on Sunday.”
The association then shut down reports that Barning had been attacked by a shark after falling into the ocean, describing the claims as “untrue news reporting.”
“Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife Leonie, his son Sam and daughters Eleanor and Brigette in this trying time,” they continued. “We also have the crew and their families in our thoughts and prayers. To those participants of the tournament that assisted in the search efforts, we thank you.”
Barning was the secretary and a life member of the Port Hacking Game Fishing Club in Sydney’s south, per The Sydney Morning Herald.
According to the outlet, the search for Barning has reached 1500 nautical miles and will extend as far as Port Kembla, south of Sydney, on Feb. 25.
