A surfer who died after being bitten by a shark off Australia's east coast was set to become a father for the first time.
The man was mauled by what was believed to be a great white shark while surfing at Shelly Beach, north of Coffs Harbour on Monday morning.
"Despite the best efforts of bystanders, paramedics and other emergency services the patient sadly died at the scene," New South Wales Ambulance said on its Twitter account.
The surfer has now been identified as 31-year-old Timothy Thompson, who had married his wife Katie just six months ago. The couple was expecting their first child in January.
"It's so sad just to think that it would happen to someone like him because he was so amazing and he's just left so much behind," family friend Bronte Graham told 7NEWS.
Graham has set up a GoFundMe page, which has since raised over AU$124,000, and described Thompson as a "kind, generous and lovable man".
"We are all so devastated that such a tragedy could happen to this beautiful family who had everything to look forward to."
Katie also paid tribute to Thompson in a Facebook post on Monday, revealing she was "heartbroken" by his death.
"I'm just waiting for someone to tell me this isn't real," she wrote.
"All I know right now is that I have no choice but to keep going, because I have a little piece of you growing in me. My heart aches for our baby who will never get to meet you. You would of been the best daddy."
She also thanked the surfers, ambulance and Westpac helicopter crew who helped Thompson after the attack.
