04-01-2012, 01:20 PM
A father-of-two yesterday became the fourth person to be mauled to death by a shark off a stretch of coast in Western Australia - raising fears that a rogue Great White is responsible.
Peter Kurmann, 33, was scuba-diving with his brother Gian from a small boat when the 13ft shark attacked.
"He had a go at the shark with his knife," friend Peter MacDonald said. "They were both descending down the anchor rope to the dive site and Peter was in front of Gian and apparently it came out of nowhere and grabbed him."
Gian, who was not hurt, hauled his brother's mutilated body from the sea and called for help to fishermen on another small boat nearby.
A sea and air search has been launched off the coast on a hunt-and-kill mission for the shark.
Beaches north and south of the town of Busselton were closed as the hunt began.The state's Premier, Mr Colin Barnett, said he was concerned there had been four fatal shark attacks since February.
![[Image: 368003-peter-kurmann.jpg]](http://resources3.news.com.au/images/2012/03/31/1226315/368003-peter-kurmann.jpg)
Peter Kurmann, 33, was scuba-diving with his brother Gian from a small boat when the 13ft shark attacked.
"He had a go at the shark with his knife," friend Peter MacDonald said. "They were both descending down the anchor rope to the dive site and Peter was in front of Gian and apparently it came out of nowhere and grabbed him."
Gian, who was not hurt, hauled his brother's mutilated body from the sea and called for help to fishermen on another small boat nearby.
A sea and air search has been launched off the coast on a hunt-and-kill mission for the shark.
Beaches north and south of the town of Busselton were closed as the hunt began.The state's Premier, Mr Colin Barnett, said he was concerned there had been four fatal shark attacks since February.