Hareb back in action despite shark scare
The Margaret River Pro surf event involving Kiwi Paige Hareb has resumed despite a nearby shark attack.
The World Surf League event was put on hold yesterday following a shark attack at Cobblestones beach, near Grace Town.
A man in his 30s was attacked by a shark shortly before 8am (local time).
The attack happened around 15km away from where round-two women’s heats of the Margaret River Pro were being held at Main Point.
Once news filtered through, the WSL put the event on hold for about an hour.
But after assessing the situation, it decided to resume the competition, with additional safety measures.
Competition organisers have added more drones and jet skis in a bid to give the surfers more protection.
Hareb and Australia’s two-time world champion Tyler Wright were the first surfers to hit the water for their round two heat after the shark scare.
The Australian came up trumps, with her two-wave score of 14.73 eclipsing Hareb (13.03) in a hard-fought heat.
Wright moved into the third round, while Hareb is eliminated.
WSL deputy commissioner Jesse Miley-Dyer said she was confident the extra precautions put in place after the nearby shark attack would keep the competitors safe.