The 15-year-old boy who died after a shark attack at a remote beach on South Australia’s Yorke Peninsula has been identified by friends and family as talented surfer Khai Cowley—while the small town where the attack took place reels in shock.
Cowley was surfing with his father at Ethel Beach at approximately 1:30 p.m. Thursday when he was attacked. His aunt, Lauryn Barley, identified the 15-year-old in a GoFundMe, part of a bid to raise money for funeral costs. Barley, who described Cowley as a “most beautiful soul taken from us 2 soon,” added her nephew is suspected to have been mauled by a great white.
It is believed the shark ripped off the boy’s leg as the father watched. The pair lived just a few hours away in the city of Seaford.
“The shark took his leg, and so another local guy ran out, jumped on his board and paddled out to help him,” one witness told the Adelaide Advertiser. “The shark was circling them as the guy pulled the boy out of the water. There was a lot of blood. He brought him to shore but I think it was too late by then.”
Emergency services rushed to access the difficult-to-reach-beach, but were ultimately unable to save the boy and his body was retrieved from the water, South Australia police confirmed.
Local surfer Luke Sykora told Australia’s ABC News Radio that despite a number of shark sightings over the years, “that is the first fatal attack we’ve ever had down here.”
Another local, Ryan Valente told ABC Radio Adelaide the town was in shock.
“It’s the stuff nightmares are made of,” he said. “I’ve got some friends in the area who’ve been here since day dot, and talking to them, not even in their memory can they remember anything close to an event like this.”
Cowley’s surfing prowess has been highlighted in a number of tributes penned in honor of the teen. Surfing South Australia said he was “very involved in our surfing community with his passion for surfing stemming from a family with deep surfing roots in SA.”
“After the devastating news that one of our Grom surfers, Khai, was involved in a fatal incident at Ethel Beach on December 28th we have been keeping Khai’s family and friends in our thoughts,” Surfing South Australia said in a statement on Facebook on Friday, pointing to the GoFundMe page and urging people to donate.
“Khai was very involved in our surfing community with his passion for surfing stemming from a family with deep surfing roots in SA. He was a happy, kind and respectful kid, very much loved by his surfing peers and he will be greatly missed out in our community and on the water.”
The Seaview Road Board Riders club, of which Cowley was a member, wrote that they were in “disbelief and devastation at the loss of our grom Khai,” adding he is a third generation “Roader,” following in the footsteps of his grandfather and uncle.
They added Cowley had only days ago “surfed his last rally,” describing him “shining on the day and as always offering a helping hand. He was awarded 2023’s outstanding performer.
“He was a true club man, a Roader through and through and the club was proud to award him the outstanding grom performer award for 2023,” the post read.
“He was a standout. He helped the little groms, made their trainings fun and they all looked up to him. Khai was one of our top groms and was due to represent the club at the Boardriders Battle in March. We will surf this for you Khai with all our heart and soul. You will live on in our hearts and memories, once a Roader always a Roader. Represent the skull and cross bones up there grom. We will all miss you so much and will keep on shredding for you.”
The Port Noarlunga Football Club, of which Cowley was also a member, said it was “heartbroken to hear of the passing of our own Khai Cowley.”
The club explained Cowley and his family “have been part of our community for many years and we are absolutely shattered to hear this news.”
