In one of the most horrific and notorious shark attacks ever recorded, a mother-of-four was killed and eaten by a massive great white shark as her terrified children looked on from the shore.
The Day of the Attack
The tragedy unfolded on March 3, 1985, at Peake Bay, South Australia. Shirley Ann Durdin, aged just 33, was snorkelling to collect scallops when the unthinkable happened. The enormous predator, estimated to be 20 feet long, struck with devastating speed.
Witnesses described a sudden whirlwind of bubbles and blood in the water before Shirley was savagely bitten in half by a single, mighty bite from the shark. The attack was so brutal that all that remained was her headless torso, which was then consumed by the great white before it vanished into the depths.
A Family's Trauma and Community Fear
The disturbing incident was witnessed from a distance of only 150 yards by Shirley's own children. Her husband, Barry, was so heartbroken and desperate that bystanders had to physically restrain him from plunging into the water after his wife.
The family had only recently moved to the coast from the inland town of Karkoo due to Barry's severe allergies to farm life. In the desperate search that followed, authorities could only recover a single swim fin from the water.
The shocking event left the local community paralysed with fear, with some residents demanding a shark cull. However, experts at the time warned that such a cull would not guarantee safety and could seriously harm the marine ecosystem.
A Rare and Historic Case
This attack is considered highly unusual because great white sharks rarely eat human victims. Shirley Durdin's death marked the first fatal shark attack in South Australian waters since 1974.
That earlier attack claimed the life of 26-year-old diver Terry Manuel, who was killed by a 15-foot great white off Cape Catastrophe. In that case, the shark's attack was so forceful it launched Manuel out of the water, and despite his companion's frantic efforts, he died from catastrophic blood loss after having a leg torn off.
The harrowing tale of Shirley Durdin has resurfaced on social media in recent years, with many describing it as the most horrific shark attack story they have ever encountered. The trauma for her family, especially her husband and the children who witnessed the event, remains unimaginable.
