In May he organised a paddle out tribute for fellow Dee Why surfer Shane Herring after his untimely death.
Derek Hynd, a well-known surfer from Newport, remembered Psillakis as a “keystone” of the local area.
Police have described Mercury Psillakis’s death on Father’s Day weekend as “particularly tragic”. Photo / NewsWire
“To lose such a keystone in Mercury in so radical a sudden way leaves anyone with sense of heritage stone cold heartbroken,” he wrote.
“Massive personal condolences to the immediate extended Psillakis family, his local brethren, and on behalf of the old Newport surfing brotherhood and the core industry.”
Another remembered the Dee Why local as the “nicest genuine man getting around”.
“I’m lost for words. He was the guy I would hang with and surf with in Sydney, he glassed my boards and taught me a lot about surfboards and more importantly just how to be a good person in and out of the water,” Tim R-Smith said over social media.
“Big love to all the family and friends of Merc. You are such a loved man throughout. See you again my old mate.”
Speaking on Sunday Agenda, New South Wales Premier Chris Minns said the attack was shocking for both his family and the community.
“He’s an experienced surfer, he was part of that surfing community in Dee Why and it’s shocking for his family and for the people of the Northern Beaches. In the first instance, I want to express our sincere condolences to his family and that community,” he said.
Psillakis leaves behind a wife and daughter tragically just a day before Fathers Day on Sunday.
One witness, Mark Morgenthal, told Sky News that the shark was “huge”, estimating the animal to be about 6m long.
He also described hearing a man yelling out as the shark was seen in the water.
“There was a guy screaming, ‘I don’t want to get bitten, I don’t want to get bitten, don’t bite me,’ and I saw the dorsal fin of the shark come up, and it was huge,” he said.
“Then I saw the tail fin come up and start kicking, and the distance between the dorsal fin and the tail fin looked to be about four metres, so it actually looked like a six-metre shark.”
Plenty of beachgoers were at Dee Why when the tragedy occurred. Photo / NewsWire
In a statement, Minns said Psillakis’ death was an “awful tragedy”.
“My heart goes out to the victim’s family and friends,” he said.
“I also want to thank the first responders and community members who tried to help in such tough and confronting circumstances.
“Shark attacks are rare, but they leave a huge mark on everyone involved, particularly the close knit surfing community.”
Northern Beaches Police Area Command Inspector Stuart Thomson told reporters on Saturday afternoon that Psillakis lost “a number of limbs” in the attack.
“His body was found floating in the surf, and a couple of other people went out and recovered it but attempts to save his life were unsuccessful,” he said.
“We understand he leaves behind a wife and a young daughter – with tomorrow being Father’s Day, it’s particularly tragic.
“The gentleman is an experienced surfer. He was here with a number of mates and … he’d only been in the water for about half an hour at the time.”
Thomson said the man’s surfboard was broken in half.
“A couple of other surfers managed to see him in the surf and got him back out, but by that time he lost a lot of blood and resuscitation was not possible,” he said.
“He had suffered catastrophic injuries.
“I don’t have the exact time how long he was missing but I understand it was a short time.”
First responders were called to the scene at Long Reef Beach after 10am on Saturday. Photo / Surfline
Thomson said nearby surfers came to the man’s aid, but could not confirm if they knew there was a shark attack when they jumped into the water.
He said it was horrific for the man’s colleagues, mates and surf lifesavers.
“It was one of those freak incidents that happens very rarely – obviously there was a lot of people down at the beach, because it’s a beautiful day at Dee Why,” Thomson said.
NSW police and paramedics were at the scene, along with the Westpac helicopter.
Police will liaise with experts from the Department of Primary Industries to determine the species of shark involved.
“We had a number of police boats as well as from Surf Life Saving (and) jet skis, and we were out looking for the shark,” Thomson said.
“Obviously we passed that information to Department of Primary Industries, who will be the key agency in terms of locating the shark and determining what to do next.”
The beach is expected to be closed for between 48 to 72 hours, and surrounding beaches for 24 hours.
Beaches between Manly to Narrabeen have been closed pending further advice.
‘Doesn’t look good’: Harrowing scenes
Sydney resident Sophie Lumsden was at Dee Why at the time.
“I was sitting at the beach having a coffee and the shark alarm went off. Two minutes later, four ambulances turned up,” she told the Daily Telegraph.
“It doesn’t look good.”
The fatal shark attack has closed beaches between Manly and Narrabeen. Photo / NewsWire
Harrowing scenes have been reported as the man’s family arrived at the scene.
His brother collapsed to the ground and his mother needed physical support to remain standing, the Daily Telegraph has reported.
Loved ones were seen gathering together on the sand near a tent that has been closed off to members of the public.
Several surfers in wetsuits were seen approaching the family group.
First attack in years
Saturday’s shark attack is the second in Sydney in the past three years.
A local diver was killed by a great white shark in a “rare and uncommon tragedy” in 2022.
Authorities at the time said the incident – which killed 35-year-old Wolli Creek man Simon Nellist – was the first fatal shark attack in Sydney since 1963.
Trial to remove shark nets
The tragedy comes as three council areas move towards trialling removing shark nets.
Central Coast councillors all voted in favour of a NSW Government trial to remove shark nets from beaches this summer, with representatives saying it was “always disappointing” to see other wildlife caught in the netting.
The state Government has asked Waverley, Northern Beaches and Central Coast councils to select a beach to trial the removal of the nets.
The Department of Primary Industries is expected to select which beaches will be involved in the trial.
The three councils said at the time new technologies were available to prevent shark attacks.
Northern Beaches Mayor Sue Heins said the council had long been advocating for the removal of the nets from all beaches, and looked forward to receiving more information about the Government’s plans.
“We have been advocating for the removal of shark nets on all beaches and replacement with technology that maintains or improves swimmer safety,” Heins said.
“We’d like to see the removal of shark nets on all our beaches; however if a trial on one beach as suggested by the NSW Government gets us a step closer to this outcome, we’d welcome it provided they were replaced with appropriate mitigation technologies for swimmer safety.”
A NSW Government spokesperson said safety is the “number one priority”.
Northern Beaches Mayor Sue Heins. Photo / Getty Images
“Three local councils, Central Coast, Waverley and Northern Beaches, who have indicated they did not want nets on their beaches, have been invited to be part of a trial where one beach in their LGA will not be netted,” the spokesperson said.
Minister for the Illawarra and the South Coast Ryan Park has acknowledged “widespread” issues with the nets.
“We know the problems with nets are widespread, in particular around getting other species of marine life caught in those areas. I know that’s been a challenge in my own community,” Park said during a press conference in July.
“Our priority is keeping our locals and our humans and our visitors safe in the water.”
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