Family, friends and complete strangers have come together to raise an incredible $100,000 after 28-year-old surfer Lance Appleby was killed in a suspected shark attack.
It’s believed that Lance, who was visiting family on the southwest coast of South Australia, had just caught a wave, “flipped off the wave and proceeded to paddle back” when he was attacked on Thursday.
Following the tragedy, an online fundraiser collected over $100,000 with funds going towards a memorial, a plaque, and to help ease the family’s financial burdens following the loss.
The outpouring of support comes as a search for his body concluded on Sunday after four days. “The search for a surfer off the coast of Streaky Bay, on the Eyre Peninsula, has now concluded,” police said in a statement.
“Police with the assistance of SES, CFS, Council members including the Mayor, and locals have searched the area over the past four days but sadly have not yet located his body.”
Police have called off the search for Lance’s body four days after it began. Picture: SA Police
Surfer attacked while paddling off Aussie coast
Family friend Jeff Schumaker reported in Lance’s final moments he “caught a wave and flipped off the wave and proceeded to paddle back, and he was attacked”.
A jet skier later identified the surfboard Lance was using, with Jeff confirming it had a bite mark on it.
Streaky Bay, where Lance was last seen alive. Picture: Supplied.
It’s understood Lance had moved to the Gold Coast in 2023 for work.
In a tribute shared by his workplace, Allconstruct Interiors Pty Ltd said, “RIP to great young talent Lance Appleby was a big part of Allconstruct team last year and quickly became friends.”
In a post uploaded on Saturday, Lance’s brother Kenneth said relatives were experiencing “impossible pain.”
“On Thursday evening, we received the tragic news that our much-loved brother Lance had been taken by a Great White Shark while surfing at Granites,” he said. “The only solace we can find is knowing that Lance was doing what he loved, with a beaming smile on his face.
“Lance was the best brother we could ever ask for. He was caring, fiercely loyal, compassionate, and always up for an adventure. He wore his heart on his sleeve and was never afraid to express his emotions or talk about them.
“We would give anything to have him back.”
The stretch of coastline is understood to be a hotspot for sharks, according to the Adelaide Advertiser, with UniSA shark researcher Brianna Le Busque telling the masthead in 2023 great whites frequent the area as the “water goes (from) really deep to really shallow quickly”.
— With NCA
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