Canberra, Oct 9 (AP) A surfer vanished in a suspected shark attack on Friday off the Australian southwest coast, police said.

A surfboard was found at Wylie Bay near the town of Esperance and a search was underway for the man who had been riding it, a police statement.

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Ambulance officers reported the suspected shark attack at Kelp Beds Beach late Friday morning.

A 17-year-old girl was killed by a shark at the same spot in 2017.

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A 57-year-old diver was killed by a great white shark off Esperance in January. His body was never found.

Pro surfer Matt Wilkinson had a close encounter with a great white shark off Ballina on the Australian east coast on Wednesday. A drone video showed the shark come to within inches of Wilkinson's feet as he paddled his board before suddenly darting away. (AP)

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)