Maria Psillakis, widow of shark attack victim Mercury Psillakis, has endorsed the NSW government’s plan to expand shark-spotting drones to unpatrolled beaches, calling the $2.5 million program “a massive step in the right direction.”
Three months after her husband’s death at Dee Why, she wrote on Facebook: “We cannot eliminate the risks but we can minimise the risks… There is always room for improvement.”
She said safety must be considered year-round and hoped “Merc’s legacy will reflect the way he dedicated himself to keeping people safe in the water,” adding: “If we can improve safety because of him then something meaningful can come from this terrible loss.”
Maria also expressed deep grief, writing she misses him “without your laugh to warm me, your scent to ground me, your touch to steady me.”
Maria and Mercury’s twin brother Mike have been advocating for stronger shark mitigation since his death, meeting with NSW Minister for Agriculture Tara Moriarty, who said fast-tracking drones and training board-rider clubs is “a significant contribution to honouring his legacy.”
Source: The Daily Telegraph
