Sydney paddle-out honors shark-attack victim Mercury Psillakis as community gathers in record turnout

A heartwarming paddle-out to honor Mercury Psillakis drew more than 1,000 mourners to Sydney’s Northern Beaches on Saturday, as family, friends and surfers gathered at Long Reef and Dee Why to say farewell to a beloved member of the local surfing community.

Long Reef Boardriders organized the ceremony, held at 11 a.m., following Psillakis’s death in a shark attack at Long Reef Beach on Sept. 6. The turnout far exceeded organizers’ expectations, underscoring the impact Psillakis had on those who knew him and on the broader surf community.

The 57-year-old surfer was attacked by a five-metre great white while riding with a group of friends. He spotted the adolescent shark and warned others to form a huddle and head for shore. Psillakis remained at the back of the huddle and was about 100 metres from shore when his board was bitten in half and he disappeared underwater. Surfers recovered him from the water, but he was unresponsive and suffered severe blood loss and limb injuries.

Three weeks later, Long Reef Boardriders invited participants to take part in a paddle-out as a tribute to Psillakis. Instead of the traditional Hawaiian practice of carrying flowers into the water, organizers asked surfers to bring palm fronds in honor of Psillakis, who was passionate about palms. Surfers paddled out, linked hands, and formed a circle that stretched hundreds of metres across the water.

Psillakis’s twin brother, Mike, paddled to the center of the circle and addressed the crowd amid cheers and splashes. In an emotional speech before the group headed onto the water, Mike described the deep bond he shared with his twin and their mutual love of surfing. “When my brother hit the sand, I knew exactly that it was him. I could tell. I could feel him. I’d wave my board… and he’d wave it back the same,” he said, according to reports.

A GoFundMe page has been established to support Psillakis’s family with funeral costs and his daughter’s future. Long Reef Boardriders president Tash Gee described the event as somber yet powerful: “It was a really sombre event, but also full of everyone cheering. It’s a celebration, not a mournful event.”

Psillakis had been celebrated for his bravery after warning fellow surfers about the shark nearby and for his decades of dedication to the local scene, where he was regarded as a keystone figure in the community. The tragedy occurred one day before Father’s Day, and he leaves behind his wife Maria and their daughter Freedom. A funeral for Psillakis was held at Archangel Michael Greek Orthodox Church on September 18.

The attack also prompted government action the day after his death. Premier Chris Minns paused a trial to remove shark nets from three Greater Sydney beaches while investigators reviewed the circumstances surrounding the attack. Minns said the pause would allow time to consider the findings of the formal investigation by the Department of Primary Industries, which is preparing a report on the fatal incident. He noted that, although the attack occurred at a netted beach, officials would await the investigation’s conclusions before making further net-management decisions.

The paddle-out and the broader response reflect the close-knit nature of Sydney’s surfing culture, which frequently rallies around its own in moments of tragedy while continuing to celebrate the sport that binds communities together.