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A grey reef shark (Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos) swims inside a tank during a presentation of the European Shark Week in the Madrid's Zoo Aquarium October 14, 2011. Members of the Shark Alliance in Europe run a week of activities demanding that policy makers secure the future health of shark populations. Reuters

The Western Australian government ordered on Thursday the closure of the beach at Kelpid Beach in Wylie Bay, following a shark attack on a 23-year-old man. The victim, Sean Pollard from Bunbury, lost both an arm and a hand, plus suffered injuries on his leg.

Skynews reports that Pollard was surging 150 metres offshore at about 11 am when he was attacked by two bronze whalers. A witness described the attack as a feeding frenzy.

Pollard, a player with the South Bunbury Football Club, received first aid from an off-duty paramedic and rushed to Esperance Hospital for initial treatment. He was later flown to the Royal Perth Hospital and is now in a stable condition.

The attack prompted the Department of Fisheries to set up two baited hooks to catch the shark, described as between 3 metres and 4.5 metres long. An hour after the hook was set up, the shark was caught.

Lisa Clack, Shark Response Unit manager, confirmed a white shark was caught and would culled. The federal government gave an exemption to the Fisheries Department to set up the baited hooks because the shark was considered an imminent threat to beachcombers and surfers.

"The shark will be destroyed. At the moment, Department of Fisheries officers are working with department shark scientists to determine the most appropriate, humane and safe way for officers to dispatch the shark," Clack said on Thursday, quoted by Stuff.co.nz.

On Friday, the football club released a statement on its Facebook page as follows: "Our Thoughts are with Polly and his family from everyone at the South Bunbury Football Club. We are with you all the way mate."

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