By Jacob Kagi.
Family, friends and colleagues have paid tribute to Edith Cowan University (ECU) nursing lecturer Doreen Collyer after she was attacked and killed by a suspected five-metre shark off Perth.
Ms Collyer, 60, had been in the water for about 25 minutes about one kilometre off the coast of Mindarie on Sunday morning when she was attacked by what was thought to have been a large great white.
The Iluka woman’s 43-year-old diving companion managed to get her back into their boat, between One and Three Mile reefs, but she died from her injuries.
Fishermen who came to the pair’s aid said the shark was bigger than their 5.3 metre boat.
Ms Collyer moved to Australia from England almost five years ago with her husband David, and recently became an Australian citizen.
“Doreen was a beautiful person and everyone loved her. She was a devoted grandmother, mother and loving wife,” Mr Collyer said in a statement.
Ms Collyer was an advanced open water diver, however it is understood Sunday was the first time she had been out in weeks.
Her diving partner said she was a “phenomenal diver”.
In a statement, ECU’s Acting Vice Chancellor Arshad Omari described Ms Collyer as “a much loved and respected colleague, mentor and teacher”.
Tributes are also flowing in for Ms Collyer on social media.
“RIP Doreen, you where an amazing lecturer, thank you for sharing your vast knowledge,” Kelly Mills wrote on Facebook.
“Condolences and deepest sympathy to all family, friends and colleagues from ECU Nursing and Midwifery,” Nikki Vickers said.
The fatal shark attack was the second in Western Australia within a week, after surfer Ben Gerring was mauled by a great white off Mandurah and died in hospital on Friday night.
Three baited drum lines were dropped to hunt for the shark that killed Ms Collyer after authorities deemed it to be “a serious threat to public safety”, although the lines were lifted on Monday afternoon due to poor weather conditions.
No return to permanent drum lines: Premier
The drum lines off Mindarie have been deployed under a State Government policy allowing for individual sharks to be destroyed, if they match the description of a shark identified as posing an imminent threat to the public.
However WA Premier Colin Barnett has ruled out revisiting the controversial catch-and-kill policy trialled in 2014, when drum lines were permanently deployed off beaches throughout summer in Perth and the South West.
The decision to abandon the policy followed an environmental assessment that advised it should not continue, and Mr Barnett said nothing had changed.
“It wasn’t successful in the sense of catching great whites,” Mr Barnett said.
“The program was tried, it was divisive in the community … but it did not work.”
The Government has also faced criticism from conservation groups and others for deploying the temporary drum lines, however Mr Barnett insisted was the right thing to do.
“Where a judgement is required, the State Government and the fisheries officers will always err on the side of public safety,” he said.
“If there has to be a choice made, it will be to protect the public, people using our beaches, enjoying our magnificent ocean area. And that’s something that I think is just a reality.”
Fears attacks could harm WA’s reputation
Mr Barnett also expressed concerns the international publicity given to the attacks could have an impact on tourism.
“There is no doubt there is world exposure to the shark fatalities that have occurred, that will no doubt be happening right now,” Mr Barnett said.
“That’s why we’re taking the measures.
“You are safe if you are swimming on patrolled beaches … but it’s impossible to be able to protect surfers at all surf breaks or divers out on reefs.”
The Department of Fisheries (DoF) said drum lines would not be reset on Tuesday.
It has however confirmed a second public sighting of a large white shark up to 4.5 metres long was made off Mindarie area about 1:30pm on Sunday, around two hours after Ms Collyer was killed.
The DoF said beaches in the area remained closed.
This post originally appeared on ABC News.
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