The 15-year-old boy who died after a shark assault at a far flung sea coast on South Australia’s Yorke Peninsula has been known through family and friends as gifted surfer Khai Cowley—whilst the small the town the place the assault happened reels in surprise.Cowley used to be browsing together with his father at Ethel Seaside at roughly 1:30 p.m. Thursday when he used to be attacked. His aunt, Lauryn Barley, known the 15-year-old in a GoFundMe, a part of a bid to lift cash for funeral prices. Barley, who described Cowley as a “most pretty soul taken from us 2 quickly,” added her nephew is suspected to were mauled through a super white. It’s believed the shark ripped off the boy’s leg as the daddy watched. The pair lived only a few hours away within the town of Seaford.“The shark took his leg, and so every other native man ran out, jumped on his board and paddled out to lend a hand him,” one witness advised the Adelaide Advertiser. “The shark used to be circling them as the fellow pulled the boy out of the water. There used to be a large number of blood. He introduced him to shore however I believe it used to be too overdue through then.”Emergency products and services rushed to get right of entry to the difficult-to-reach-beach, however had been in the end not able to avoid wasting the boy and his frame used to be retrieved from the water, South Australia police showed.Native surfer Luke Sykora advised Australia’s ABC Information Radio that regardless of a lot of shark sightings through the years, “that’s the first deadly assault we’ve ever had down right here.”Every other native, Ryan Valente advised ABC Radio Adelaide town used to be in surprise.“It’s the stuff nightmares are fabricated from,” he stated. “I’ve were given some buddies within the space who’ve been right here since day dot, and chatting with them, no longer even of their reminiscence can they keep in mind anything else on the subject of an match like this.”Cowley’s browsing prowess has been highlighted in a lot of tributes penned in honor of the teenager. Browsing South Australia stated he used to be “very inquisitive about our browsing group together with his hobby for browsing stemming from a circle of relatives with deep browsing roots in SA.”“After the devastating information that considered one of our Grom surfers, Khai, used to be inquisitive about a deadly incident at Ethel Seaside on December twenty eighth we’ve got been holding Khai’s friends and family in our ideas,” Browsing South Australia stated in a commentary on Fb on Friday, pointing to the GoFundMe web page and urging folks to donate.“Khai used to be very inquisitive about our browsing group together with his hobby for browsing stemming from a circle of relatives with deep browsing roots in SA. He used to be a contented, sort and respectful child, very a lot liked through his browsing friends and he’ll be very much overlooked out in our group and at the water.”The Seaview Highway Board Riders membership, of which Cowley used to be a member, wrote that they had been in “disbelief and devastation on the lack of our grom Khai,” including he’s a 3rd era “Roader,” following within the footsteps of his grandfather and uncle.They added Cowley had handiest days in the past “surfed his final rally,” describing him “shining at the day and as at all times providing a serving to hand. He used to be awarded 2023’s exceptional performer.“He used to be a real membership guy, a Roader via and thru and the membership used to be proud to award him the phenomenal grom performer award for 2023,” the submit learn. “He used to be a standout. He helped the little groms, made their trainings amusing they usually all seemed as much as him. Khai used to be considered one of our best groms and used to be because of constitute the membership on the Boardriders Combat in March. We can surf this for you Khai with all our center and soul. You’re going to survive in our hearts and recollections, as soon as a Roader at all times a Roader. Constitute the cranium and pass bones up there grom. We can all omit you such a lot and can stay on shredding for you.”The Port Noarlunga Soccer Membership, of which Cowley used to be additionally a member, stated it used to be “heartbroken to listen to of the passing of our personal Khai Cowley.”The membership defined Cowley and his circle of relatives “were a part of our group for a few years and we’re completely shattered to listen to this information.”
