A Greek-Australian surfer met a tragic death at Dee Why beach in Sydney, Australia after a shark attack earlier today. The victim was 57-year-old Mercury Psillakis, whose sudden death after the shark attack at his favorite surfing spot has shocked Australia’s Greek community and the local community, who are supporting his wife, young daughter, and twin brother.
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On the eve of Father’s Day in Australia, the Greek-Australian had been surfing for about half an hour when, approximately 100 meters from the shore of Long Reach Beach, he was attacked by a “large” shark, as described by police.
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Tragedia en las playas del norte de Sídney: Mercury Psillakis, surfista de 57 años🏄♂️, murió tras ser atacado por un tiburón en Long Reef Beach, cerca de Dee Why 🦈
🩸El animal le causó heridas catastróficas pese a que otros surfistas lo ayudaron
🏖️🛑Playas de Manly a Narrabeen… pic.twitter.com/oc9sfOESMW— Sonar 360 (@Sonar360) September 6, 2025
The Greek-Australian surfer and his board disappeared into the water, but his friends “managed to safely reach shore and a short time later his body was found floating on the board, and two other people swam out there and retrieved him. Revival attempts were unsuccessful,” said New South Wales Police Inspector Smart Tobson at a press conference.
Australia: Local community mourns death of Greek-Australian surfer
According to Australian media, “almost everyone” in Dee Why knew Mercury Psillakis and his brother, describing the Greek-Australian as a warm and hospitable person who was always at the beach.
The twin brothers, Mercury and Mike, loved surfing (the latter even has his own surfboard manufacturing company) and had lived in the coastal community of Dee Why since childhood, where their parents moved in 1962.
Deeply rooted in the community, they participated in clubs and organizations, while “Merc,” as he was affectionately called, had recently organized a “paddle out” in honor of an old surfer who had passed away.
“Don’t bite me”
Speaking to Sky News Australia, an eyewitness, Mark Morgenthal, said he saw the attack and that the shark was one of the largest he had ever seen. “There was a man in the water shouting ‘I don’t want you to bite me, I don’t want you to bite me, don’t bite me’ and I saw the shark’s fin come out of the water and it was huge. Then I saw the shark’s tail come out of the water and thrashing. The distance from the fin to the tail appeared to be about four meters, so it actually looked like a six-meter shark,” said Mr. Morgenthal.
Experienced surfer
New South Wales Police Inspector John Duncan said at a press conference that the victim was 57 years old, calling the incident “a terrible tragedy.”
“The gentleman had gone out around 9:30 in the morning with some of his friends,” he added. “From what we know, he was an experienced surfer. Unfortunately, it appears that a large animal, which we believe was a shark, attacked him. As a result, he lost several limbs. His colleagues managed to safely return to shore and a short time later his body was found floating in the waves, while two other people went out to sea and retrieved him.” Mr. Duncan added that police “know he leaves behind a wife and a young daughter… and tomorrow, which is Father’s Day (in Australia), is a particularly critical and tragic day.”
Shark attacks are very rare, with this incident considered the first in New South Wales this year. The last time a person in Sydney was killed by a shark attack was in February 2022 – the first fatal shark attack in the city since 1963.
