The father of a teenage girl killed by a shark at Queensland’s Bribie Island is urging people to keep going to the beach despite his devastating loss. Charlize Zmuda is being remembered as a musically gifted and dedicated surf lifesaver who died doing what she loved.
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00:00For Charlize Zamuda, the beach was the happiest place on earth.
00:07To have the talent taken away right now, as a dad, kills me.
00:14On Monday afternoon, the 17-year-old was killed in a shark attack at Bribie Island.
00:19She was so musically gifted, it was not fair.
00:24She had been swimming at an unpatrolled section of Wharram Beach.
00:28We do have these rare incidents that happen.
00:31But again, having this happen to a red and yellow lifesaver,
00:35a volunteer whose job was to look after Queenslanders,
00:39it's going to hit pretty hard.
00:41Her family gathered this morning to pay tribute to their free-spirited daughter,
00:46who had been a part of lifesaving since she was eight.
00:49Community members also gathering around them.
00:52We were paying respect to what happened to her.
00:55She also was one who loved being a part of this community
00:58and this beautiful island that we live in, and she was doing what she loved.
01:03This was Charlize's favourite beach.
01:05In fact, she swam here every single day.
01:08Now with the beach closed, Surf Lifesaving have said
01:10they've increased patrols until they can reopen on Friday.
01:15It's the third shark attack in Queensland in less than three months,
01:18and the second fatality.
01:20The Premier says the government will consider changes
01:23to the shark management program.
01:25People have to come first.
01:27The safety of humans always has to come before the welfare of a shark.
01:33And I'm incredibly sad what's happened.
01:35Charlize's family hopes her death doesn't keep people away from the ocean.
01:40So please still come to the beach
01:42and enjoy the surrounds of every beach up and down the coast.
01:46Her name etched in the sand.