The surfing community is mourning the loss of Greek Australian Mercury Psillakis, 57, who was killed in a shark attack off Dee Why beach on Sydney’s Northern Beaches on Saturday morning, just hours before Father’s Day.
Psillakis, a much-loved father, husband and one half of the well-known Psillakis twins, is remembered as a hero in his final moments.
According to fellow surfers, he spotted the shark, urged others to band together, and tried to guide them safely to shore before the animal fatally mauled him. His body was later recovered with catastrophic injuries, missing “a number of limbs.”
Former professional surfer and friend Toby Martin described him as “stoic, heroic to the end,” saying, “self-preservation wasn’t there — just the safety of the others was important for him.”
Tributes have poured in from across the Northern Beaches. Locals recalled Psillakis as a vibrant personality who surfed daily, shared his knowledge with younger surfers, and nurtured a passion for exotic plants.
His brother Mike Psillakis, who runs Psillakis Surfboards in Brookvale, and Mercury’s wife Maria were seen grieving on the sand, with friends calling the loss “a deep blow” to the close-knit community.
The attack has shaken beachgoers and reignited debate over shark safety. While some locals argue shark nets harm other marine life, others see the incident as a stark reminder of their purpose.
NSW Government pauses shark net removal trial
The tragedy has prompted the NSW Government to halt its planned trial to remove shark nets from beaches in Waverley, Northern Beaches, and the Central Coast.
Premier Chris Minns said the move was “the right thing to do” after the “terrible event,” acknowledging that Psillakis’s death occurred at a netted beach.
“We believe the right thing to do is to wait for the investigation to come back,” Mr Minns said. He confirmed that all 51 shark nets rolled out on September 1 will remain in place until further notice, pending a report by the Department of Primary Industries.
The Premier also paid tribute to Psillakis: “He didn’t just paddle in by himself, he was getting his mates out. It’s a tribute that he probably wouldn’t want, but it should be recognised. He was obviously a ripper bloke, so this is terrible, terrible for that community.”
Source: Daily Telegraph.
