Surfer missing off Western Australia's south-east coast after shark attack

A surfer is missing after a shark attack at a popular beach in Western Australia's remote south-east.

Transcript

00:00It is believed that at about 12.30 this afternoon a man was attacked while surfing at Wharton

00:06Beach about an hour's drive east of Esperance on WA's far south coast.

00:12The beach has since been closed and behind me emergency services personnel are currently

00:17looking for the man.

00:18Witnesses the ABC spoke to say they saw a man on the line up in the surf with several

00:24other people when a large great white shark believed to be estimated at being larger than

00:29four metres attacked.

00:32Emergency services were then called but the search for the man does continue.

00:35This comes about five years after the last fatal shark attack in the Esperance region

00:40and is just a real blow to the community with witnesses saying that the incident left them

00:45in a state of shock.