Kaelah Marlow named as the shark attack victim who was pulled 'really far out' by rip, according to a witness

Friday, 8 January 2021

Eastern regional surf lifesaving manager, Chaz Gibbons-Campbell, talks following fatal shark attack in Bowentown, Waihī.

Kaelah Marlow, 19, from Hamilton, was the young woman who died after a shark attack at Waihī Beach.

Police released her name on Friday, extending their deepest sympathies to her family and loved ones.

She was believed to be from Australia, and moved with family to New Zealand from Perth five years ago.

On Thursday night, it is understood Marlow had got into trouble while swimming at the Bowentown end of Waihī Beach.

**READ MORE:

Kaelah Marlow is the 19-year-old from Hamilton who was killed in a shark attack at Waihi Beach.

* Sombre mood over Waihī beach as community processes shark attack

* Woman dies after shark attack at beach near Waihī

* Body swept 28km up coast confirmed as Jaden Chhayrann

Amanda Gould stands at Waihī Beach the morning after Thursday’s tragedy.

Amanda Gould who was in the water just five metres away from the shark attack victim, said Marlow was pulled out by a rip before the fatal attack.

Gould was swimming waist-deep with her husband and two boys, aged 8 and 10, when she saw the victim get separated from her group of friends and pulled out to deep water.

“We were in the water at the same time as the girl and her friends… they were about five metres in front of us, but they kept getting further and further out,” Gould said.

“She got separated from all her friends and was pulled really far out, beyond where the surfers would sit.”

Gould didn’t feel comfortable in the water due to a strong rip and decided to head back into shore.

A small group gathers on Waihī Beach following a fatal shark attack on Thursday.

That’s when the horrors unfolded in front of her.

“You could tell she was struggling because there is no way she would go that far out.

“No one saw her waving out, but I did hear a scream.”

Lifeguards then came to her aid.

Waihī Beach is a favourite spot for swimmers and surfers.

Gould said it took about five minutes to get the rescue boat out to her due to rough conditions.

“It was so rough and every time they tried to push the boat out it kept coming back in.”

Rescuers are searching for a missing adult and child off Waihi Beach (file photo).

It wasn’t until the victim was pulled from the water, and taken to shore, that Gould realised what happened.

“I thought there was another person out there, but the lifeguard said ‘no, that’s a shark, we need to get people out of the water’.

“So I was watching the shark’s fin go around, not another person.

“I didn’t see any blood… she was alive and when they got to shore. They started CPR straight away.”

It was chaos, Gould said, there were people panicking.

“It was shocking, surreal, and we were all a bit freaked out…it keeps playing on my mind.

“I’m really sad for the girl and I feel for the family. It’s so shocking that someone’s life can be taken away just by that one event, one minute she’s swimming and the next she’s pulled out and then that happened. It’s quite dreadful.”

Stuff understands that the victim had bite wounds to at least one of her legs and that the shark involved was a white pointer (great white).

A post-mortem, being carried on Friday, would provide police with a clearer understanding of what happened. However, the Coroner would ultimately determine the cause of death.

The Goulds, who are staying at Bowentown Beach Holiday Park, often travel over from Tauranga and said Thursday's tragedy wouldn't put an end to their love of water.

“I would still swim and I won’t stop the children from swimming either.

“I will just be careful of the conditions and not go beyond my depth and the boys won’t go beyond chest height.”

* A previous version of this story had a timeframe for the rescue which could not be confirmed, and has been removed.