Father of Laeticia Brouwer describes fatal shark attack

Laeticia Brouwer, 17, (pictured) was killed after a shark bit her left leg off in April

The father of a girl who was mauled to death by a great white shark has described the heart stopping moment.

Laeticia Brouwer, 17, was killed after a shark bit her left leg off from the hip in April while she was surfing with her father, Leon, at Esperance, Western Australia.

‘We were paddling out,’ Mr Brouwer told 7 News.  

‘It wasn’t the 100 mile an hour attack that people think you may witness; this was quite slow and when it actually, yeah, when it went into gear after that, it was a totally different story.’

Laeticia let out an ear-piercing scream while she was surfing before Mr Brouwer saw her being dragged under water.

Mrs Brouwer and two of Laeticia’s sisters were watching from the beach.

The 17-year-old was carried ashore unconscious while her family, and a nurse, treated her on the beach as they waited for paramedics.

Laeticia was rushed to Esperance Hospital in a critical condition and later died. 

More than six months later and Mr Brouwer said while it was ‘still pretty raw’, it was important for them to campaign for better shark safety. 

‘There’s no way I would have let Leon and Laeticia get in the water if there was a sign at the front saying there’s been a shark sighting today,’ Mrs Brouwer told 7 News.

Julie (right) and Leon Brouwer (left) said 'it wasn't the 100 mile an hour attack that people think you may witness; this was quite slow' 

Julie (right) and Leon Brouwer (left) said ‘it wasn’t the 100 mile an hour attack that people think you may witness; this was quite slow’ 

The parents have been visiting local schools to launch the Laeticia Scholarship with Surfing WA, which will be rolled out every summer, to teach young children how to be water smart.

In April this year, there had been 15 fatal shark attacks since 2000 in Western Australia.

Mr Brouwer said tourniquet leashes would also save lives because they can stop the blood loss that kills surfers.

‘It may save someone’s life,’ Mrs Brouwer said. 

‘And then you won’t have to go through what we’ve been through.’     

The parents have been visiting local schools to launch the Laeticia Scholarship with Surfing WA, which will be rolled out every summer, to teach young children how to be water smart

The parents have been visiting local schools to launch the Laeticia Scholarship with Surfing WA, which will be rolled out every summer, to teach young children how to be water smart

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