A British man aged 57 has been killed off the coast of Western Australia after being attacked by a Great White shark.

Paul Millachip was swimming at Port Beach in North Freemantle when the shark struck.

The police have called off a search for his body after finding just a pair of goggles.

They have been sent away for forensic testing.

Mr Millachip’s wife said:

“Paul was a lovely man and great father who died doing what he enjoyed doing the most, which was exercising.

“Rest in peace, Paul.”

She said her husabnd was a strong swimmer and had completed six Ironman triathlons.

Mr Millachip is believed to have been attacked by at least one 14ft shark, about 50 metres off Port Beach, north of the popular surfing spot Sandtrax.

His wife was in Port Beach’s changing rooms at the time.

His two adult children were also at the beach.

Witnesses said they saw him struggling in the water before being “dragged under”.

Land, air and sea patrols conducted failed to find a body.

Police Senior Sergeant Troy Douglas said the incident was witnessed by four teenage boys in a dinghy just metres from the attack.

He said: “They [saw] what was going on in the water … a person being attacked by a shark.

“They alerted emergency services straight away.”

Police and witnesses said the boys were heroes for getting people out of the water so quickly.

Mr Millachip’s wife said their actions were “amazing,” and that it must have been an “absolutely terrifying experience”.

“[They] could have potentially saved other lives,” she said.

“My heart goes out to them, and I thank them for what they did,” she added.

The beaches were still sealed off on Sunday but were reopened on Monday.

Shark expert Darryl McPhee, from Bond University in Queensland, said waters off Perth were a hotspot for shark attacks.

“Going forward, we still expect more fatalities over time.

“You just can’t exactly predict where and exactly when.”