Shark attack victim's family break silence as sightings sparks new evacuation

A shark attack victim's grieving family has broken its silence after new sightings sparked a new evacuation.

Mercury Psillakis, 57, died while he was out surfing with friends in the waters near Sydney's Long Reef Beach close to Dee Why on Saturday morning, local time. His twin Mike, praised his brother, a well-known personality in the local surf scene as a Psillakis Surfboards surfboard shaper.

Mike said on his Instagram page: "This is the hardest moment of my life...He was my mirror, my blood, my DNA. We share the same soul...Words cannot describe the bond we had together growing up. We had our own language and shared he same dreams, literally."

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Mike added Mercury's life was "to live life with pure passion." He added: "Tell your loved one's that you love hem. Hold them tight."

Their sister Eleni praised lifeguards who cared for her brother in his last moments alive and that he praised the creation of a "beautiful" memorial they created in his honour. She said in a Facebook post: "To lifeguard Dave and all his fellow lifeguards, please look after yourselves as you continue to look after others.

"Thank you for your care of my brother Mercury. You don't know how much each act of kindness helps. Thank you for your care of my brother Mercury. You don't know how much each act of kindness helps."

Pro-surfer and pal Toby Martin said Mercury was heroic in his last moments as he kept a pack of surfers that he was with safe as they saw the shark. "He was at the back of the pack still trying to everyone together when the shark just lined him up," he said, according to MailOnline.

"It came straight from behind and breached and dropped straight on him. It's the worst-case scenario. They normally come from the side but this one came straight from behind, breached and dropped on him. It was so quick."

Lifeguards carried Mercury's torso back to shore, though there was no attempt to resuscitate him due to the severity of his injuries. There was a fresh alarm at the nearby Manly beach where swimmers were pulled onto jet skis by lifeguards after a great white shark was seen in the water.

The Daily Telegraph reported life guards said in a statement just before 12pm local time: "Everyone out of the water. You are reminded there has been a shark sighting earlier."

A sign placed a the beach said "beach closed, shark sighting." The Northern Beaches Council said of the beach closure on its website: "Notification by NSW (New South Wales) government: Shark Smart app that tagged a shark in the vicinity."