Surfer mauled to death by shark in front of girlfriend & horrified tourists as witnesses describe piercing screams

A MISSING surfer has been presumed dead after drone footage captured him in a horrific shark attack.

Steven Jeffrey Payne, 37, from Melbourne, went missing on Monday on a remote Western Australian Beach near Esperance whilst surfing with his girlfriend.

Steven Jeffrey Payne, 37, has been presumed dead after his horrific shark attack was caught on camera

Esperance police Senior Sergeant Chris Taylor revealed that a member of the public had been flying a drone at the time above the sunny beach, and captured the grim ordeal on camera.

The Sergeant said: “I don’t think there’s much point in utilising all the resources that we have at the moment too much longer.

“There was a lot of blood, the shark, and some other things that I don’t think any others need to see.”

“The partner observed what happened yesterday, which is tragic,” he added.

The search is likely to be called off on Tuesday afternoon.

Witnesses heard screams before the surfer vanished following a shark attack. His surfing board, showing evidence of bite marks, was retrieved from the water later but his body remained missing.

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