‘We love the challenge’: A family of Tasmanian dogs and cats are planning a holiday on a cruise ship, but the trip will have to be cancelled due to a shark attack

Posted November 12, 2019 12:06:52 A family on the Gold Coast has been left devastated by the death of a beloved pet after being hit by a shark while fishing off the coast of the South Coast.

The incident happened on Friday afternoon in the city of Tangorra, about 50 kilometres south of Gold Coast.

Tasmanian marine officer Tom Sugg said a shark had approached a fishing boat near the town and had “hit a number of the dogs and cat on the boat”.

“The dogs and the cats were very lucky that they were in a boat that was safe,” he said.

“The boat was going out and the shark was heading north and it struck the boat, it struck one of the boats.”

Mr Sugg had no information on the severity of the injuries.

He said the attack was the first time he had been called to the scene.

“It’s very traumatic for the family, and it’s also traumatic for everyone else,” he told ABC Local Radio.

“There is no doubt that the boat will need to be towed and a helicopter will be needed to transport it off the Gold.”

I’ve never had to do anything like this before.

“Mr Naylor, the owner of the fishing boat, said he had just finished fishing when the attack happened.”

We were fishing on the reef, just a little bit away from the beach,” he explained.”

Then we heard a huge noise and thought it was a dog barking.””

I just turned around and looked up to see a dog with its back towards me with a big black mark on its forehead.

“Its teeth were all broken and the rest of its body was lying on the sand.”

My mate, Tom, was fishing the other side of the reef and we had to come back and take the boat back to shore.

“The boat sank shortly after, with the shark still in the water.

Mr Narrows said he did not know whether the family were in the area at the time.”

He was just fishing on our side of a small reef.

We’re fishing right on the beach, right there, on the water’s edge,” he added.”

So I guess he was fishing in a bit of a different area and we didn’t hear him.

“The couple are due to fly back to the Gold on Sunday, and the next of kin are yet to be notified.”

If the family needs a funeral or an immediate burial, I think that’s probably going to have to happen,” Mr Narrow and Mr Sugg told ABC Radio Tasmania.

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