THE husband of a Busselton City councillor has died after a fatal shark attack near Busselton.
The 33-year-old victim, was diving with his brother about one nautical mile offshore, south of Stratham Beach, in south-western Western Australia, when the attack occurred at 9.30am.
The man is a well-known local business man, Peter Kurmann, whose wife Debra is a Busselton City councillor
A boat nearby helped the Mr Kurmann's brother, Gian Kurmann, retrieve his body and raise the alarm.
A Department of Fisheries spokesman said the type of shark species was unknown, but Mr Kurmann’s brother had seen a 4m long "shark-like" object.
There has since been another possible shark sighting, north of the attack and the Department of Fisheries has deployed a plane, which is searching the area.
A Department boat will soon be sent to help join the effort and for the time being the public is advised not to enter the water, the spokesman said.
All beaches from Cape Naturaliste to Bunbury have been closed as part of the shark response plan.
Tragically, Mr Kurmann leaves behind a young family, with two sons, Felix and Nicholas, aged four and two years old.
Mr Kurmann lived in Vasse Newtown with wife, Debra Kurmann, who is on the Busselton council.
It is the first fatal shark attack since American George Thomas Wainwright died in October last year while scuba diving off Rottnest Island.
Mr Wainwright’s death was one of three shark deaths over two months, with 64-year-old swimmer Bryn Martin, believed taken by a great white shark near Cottesloe on October 10, and Kyle Burden killed the month before, while body boarding near Dunsborough.
Local police are currently conducting interviews those who witnessed the attack.
Dunsborough police OIC Sergeant Craig Anderson, who was at the marina, is a veteran of three fatal shark attacks in the South West in the past two years and was called in to offer advice.
He was in charge of the investigation of Mr Burden's death, and also investigated when surfer Nicholas Edwards, 31, was fatally mauled at Gracetown in August 2010.
