A surfer has been hailed a hero after his final moments turned into a fight to protect friends. Mercury Psillakis, 57, was killed by a great white shark off Sydney’s Northern Beaches on Saturday morning.

Witnesses said the shark struck with terrifying force, biting Psillakis in half and snapping his surfboard. “It actually looked like a six-meter shark,” one eyewitness recalled. Beachgoers tried desperately to pull him to shore, but the attack was too severe.

Former pro surfer Toby Martin, a close friend, praised Psillakis’ bravery. “He was still trying to get everyone together when the shark came straight from behind,” he explained. Martin described it as the “worst-case scenario,” saying the attack was fast and brutal.

Friends and family remembered Psillakis as a devoted father, husband, and lifelong surfer. “Heroic to the end… the safety of others was more important for him,” Martin said. His final act leaves behind both heartbreak and admiration. A tragic reminder of the ocean’s power—and of one man’s courage.