Missing fisherman was dragged overboard by shark entangled in fishing gear, Australian police say

Police in Australia say a fisherman who fell overboard during a fishing competition on Sunday was dragged by a shark that was entangled in fishing gear.

The search for Paul Barning, a figure in the New South Wales Game Fishing Association, continued Monday after authorities were alerted around 1 p.m. Sunday that the 58-year-old had fallen from his boat, Dark Horse, about 34 miles off the coast of Newcastle near Port Stephens, authorities said.

Marine Area Command Commander Superintendent Joe McNulty told local news outlets on Monday that investigators believe the shark was “quite large” compared to Barning’s 6.8-meter long vessel.

“During that process of bringing the shark alongside, he’s become tangled in the fishing line, and the shark has taken off, and that fishing line was pulled taut and maybe contributed to him going over the side of the vessel. There’s no evidence to say that shark has attacked the person in the water,” McNulty said at a news conference. He added that Barning wasn’t wearing a life jacket.

Barning, the secretary and past president of the Port Hacking game fishing club, was a “highly experienced game fisherman.” He was participating in the NSWGFA Interclub State Championships at the time of the incident, the game fishing organization said in a statement posted to social media.

“This devastating accident highlights the risks involved in doing what we all love, game fishing,” NSWGFA president Steve Lamond said in the statement. “Please look out for each other and stay safe.”

Game fishing is a sport in which competitors catch, tag and release game fish including marlins, tunas and sharks. Points depend on the species of the game fish and their size.

Among the shark species eligible for points are Blue, Smooth Hammerhead, Mako, Porbeagle, Thresher, Tiger, Great White and Whaler sharks, according to the NSWGFA rulebook. The shark that Barning caught was believed to be a Mako, police said, which can reach up to 13 feet long, according to the NOAA Fisheries. 

Competitors are also awarded prizes for catching the heaviest shark and catching the most sharks.