Nicholas Edwards, a 31-year-old surfer from Western Australia was killed by a great white shark just off South Point, a popular spot near Margaret River.

The father of two was surfing the popular lefthander in Cowaramup Bay with a small group of other surfers when he was attacked.

Witnesses told local reporters the shark clamped down on his legs, causing fatal damage to his arteries. Several surfers immediately came to Edward's aid. He fell unconscious despite surfers making a tourniquet out of a surfboard leash, and giving him CPR on the beach.

He was rushed to Margaret River hospital for treatment, but succumbed to his injuries on the way. All of Western Australia is favored territory for great whites as they chase the migrating salmon up and down the coast, and this area in particular has a bloody reputation. In 2004 local surfer Brad Smith was killed by a white shark at the same beach.

This latest attack has rocked the close-knit surfing community yet again. The surfing population around this corner of Australia has more than tripled over the past two decades, as new communities have sprung up on this once remote region that's known for its abundance of sea life.