Ben Linden, RIP

A 24 year old surfer named Ben Linden was bitten in half by a great white on Saturday 7/14. The attack occurred in Western Australia, which now has sustained FIVE fatal shark attacks in ten months. The shark was apparently known to the people who lived in the area, who call him "Brutus."

Now hunts have begun to catch and kill this deadly shark. Apparently, though, many people don't think the shark deserves to die. Here's a snapshot of a few facebook comments I found about this subject on 7/17:

I've put the text of the first page of comments at the bottom of this email. Honestly, I'm afraid while reading the callousness and only superficial sympathy in most of these comments. This young man was BITTEN IN HALF. He DIED. He had a family and a life. And since I'm a Christian I can't help wondering where he went, and just praying he is in a good place. How unimaginably horrific.


Yes, the shark was doing what sharks do. But I'm sorry, if it's nearby, it needs to be destroyed to prevent even more deaths. No brainer. Sorry Brutus. It's not your fault that you attack this guy, but I value human life more than yours.

*

Text of first page of comments:

‎"We're gonna need a bigger boat"

Really?? Sharks live in oceans??? We should DEFINITELY go swimming/surfing in THOSE oceans!!!

Let the shark be!!!

Was the surfer in the water? Was the shark in the water? Then there was no news.

Sad that the surfer was killed, but I do not think it is our right as humans to track it down and kill it in return. The ocean is NOT our home, every time a human steps into the ocean, we are stepping into someone else's territory. I think they need to leave the shark alone and just shut down that beach for now, the shark will eventually lose interest because there is nothing there for it to feed on.

Why post this or put in the media. Shark attacks are rare but do happen when we enter their home. Putting it in national spot light only instill more fear about sharks which is not needed.

Leave the shark alone!! It's what they DO. How would you like someone coming into YOUR home and deciding to kill YOU. I am sad the surfer was killed, but that's no reason to kill sharks. It is idiotic and bad for the ocean ecosystem. Sh...arks have bad eyesight; when a surfer is on a surfboard he/she looks like a seal. They don't know any better. They aren't mindless killing machines. A shark takes one bite, realizes it's a mistake, and swims away. The only thing is that one bite is pretty big for a human. But that's not the shark's fault. We are beings who adapt and invent to fix our situations; don't be barbarians and just thirst for blood! Protect our sharks, they are beautiful and important creatures!

i am sorry this guy lost his life..at the same time..don't people understand..due to al the bad weather..and climactic changes..the poor animals and other creatures are trying to find other places to be.

I agree with all th prior posts. If you get killed my a lion or rhino in the african plains, you set yourself for it. If you killed by a shark in the ocean, you set yourself up for it! Animals of all kinds hunt and kill for survival, humans kill to be evil and vindictive.

Young leave the shark alone idiots

Sypathy and prayers for his family.

Someone died people! Some of your comments makes me want to feed you to a shark! If you guys did not know THERE ARE SHARKS IN THE OCEAN! im pretty positive surfers know this risk before hand. This is why I stick to pools!

They may not find the same shark. There are many out there and the ocean is big. I am sorry about his losing his life though. I know it was horrendous.

I don't want him dead, he didn't come on land to attack. When you go into a sharks living room I guess you take your chances. I for one am very sick and tired of animals paying for humans stupidity. How many dogs get put down because peo...ple are warned to stay away and they don't and get bitten and then it's the dogs fault. That poor woman in CT that was attacked by the chimp, the owner was warned, the chimp was being a chimp but he paid for the owners stupidity with his life and that poor woman's life will never ever be the same. People should be as smart as animals the world would be a better place.

Not the sharks fault, can we PLEASE STOP Jaws was just a movie. He went into the water and this happens sometimes. Sad, but you're in his territory.

All I am saying is that we should NEVER value animals over human life! .... it's a shark that attacked and killed human life, ..and I will come back to the same hunting grounds that it was successful at last time! .... We should treat it th...e same way we treat a bear that killed a hiker or camper in the woods, .. or a rapid wolf that killed in our back yard. .... These are NOT cute little doggies and kitty cats that were abused by humans and left to die in a shelter!!! It's not a teddy bear!
            These are wild predators that will remember where their last meal came from and go back there again! ... It's easy to defend the animal based on how humans treated nature, ..but the human was in the waters near the beach, ..near relatively shallow waters, .... near where small children and unsuspecting people cool off, ... not in the middle of the Pacific where the sharks are so post to live! .... Shark attacks are still considered an uncommon occurrence,...but it will become most common if humans allow a predator to prowl our waters again and again every time it's hungry, ..and other sharks will follow its lead and look for a human meal too! Wild life learns to adapt to its surrounds based on the basic need for food! .... if a shark is finding it's meals close to shore on human pray, ..then it's adapted the wrong way and should be removed to keep the HUMAN population safe. In return will save the lives of other sharks, ....by not allowing them to follow the lead of ONE bad shark!
            Are YOU ready to give up all hope of swimming at the beach simply because a viscous animal was mislead into a human meal!?? ....... if so, ... watch as the coast guard and every other public safety department ,... go's after shark, ...after shark, ...after shark, ....because nothing was done in the beginning to the first few that attacked our shores! it's great to be an animal lover, .. I love wildlife too, ...but it's terrible that some people ( or most ) seem to respect and love animals more than humans or their own families! ... we should all consider how we would feel if it were YOUR family member .... a child, an uncle, a mom or dad, ..who's life was cut short ...due to a misplaced wondering shark that just happened to hunt near the beach! .... how would you feel about the shark being there then? .... it didn't belong that close to shore, ... it hunted...and killed...yes that's what sharks do, ... but it was a human life, ..and the last thing any of you really want is to see more sharks killed by humans because more of them have learned to hunt in waters close to home! ....

Seriously. You should stop. You are not justifying your way of thinking at all. The difference between a bear attack and a shark attack is that a bear CAN come after humans on land and a bear is smart enough to do it again. A shark c...an not and will not prey on people. Well, unless you believe that Jaws was based on a true story. Oh and Darla, if it wasn't for the predators of the sea you would have all kinds of dead things floating and sitting on your beautiful beaches that you like to cool off in. Every animal on this planet has a purpose. Maybe we should kill all bees because they sting and sometimes that sting can kill! Without the bees, what would happen? Point is, this world does not evolve around us humans. The surfer was in the water, sharks live in the water, there has been several shark sitings in teh area where the surfer was, surfer was in the wrong place at the wrong time. We can not blame an animal that was only doing was is instinctual.

so sad!

very sad.

Why,,,,,, do they go there if they know, there are Shark,s!!!!!

aren't all shark attacks sudden...

He was surfing in the deadliest shark attacks areas in the world and he took his chance and lost. Don't bame the shark get over it

Why hunt the shark? Its his home. One swimming should take heed in their waters.

No Debbie the world doesn't revolve around humans, ....but the sharks are smarter than you think .... you don't give the animal enough credit. ...Just like the bear, ...that shark will find its way back to the waters it attacked in, .... wh...en it's hungry, ... it will go there again. The difference is, that people wrongfully feed the bears by leaving things behind or foolishly trying to approach it, .... the shark hunts humans because we look like pray. If the bear is killed due to human interference that's tragic for the bear ...( because the human was at fault for basically feeding it. ) If the human is killed due to a shark that hunted it.... then not only is that tragic for the human, ...but for the shark too!
            Allowing the shark to adapt to human pray as a source of food is wrong and that's exactly what is happening, .... because people like you can't understand and respect nature for what it is.
            Get real! ...stop with the fuzzy ( oh we must SAVE the poor shark! ) act and see it for the reality it is! ... it was one deadly shark attack on human life that will lead to more as long as humans allow it. .... Most of us love to go swimming at the beach, ... and THAT will not be possible years down the road when the shark population puts two & two together and treats us the way it treats seals! ...... I will not bother to re-post or comment any longer with you on the subject as it's useless to argue with a stranger over a simple difference of option. But personally, ... I DO hope that they catch the shark, ... find the remains of that poor boy for his family, ... and do something about monitoring future sharks in the waters near the beaches, ... so that humans can swim the waters safely and sharks can snack on what they are so post to!See More
          

I am sorry this happend to this family BUT WHY are they hunting to kill this shark? He was in his habitat and doing what wild animals do.

I thought the SEALS got Ben Linden.

They have to kill the shark because, like bears they remember their food source. It makes no sense to shut down the beach, sharks will only travel elsewhere. It all boils down to the decision beachgoers make.

You're gonna need a bigger BOARD...

I think that to many people feel like I am attacking the poor shark....when in fact...I am.trying to convince everyone that the death of one shark could help save others from making the same mistake again near our shores....and causing more of a toll on both humans and sharks!

They remember their food source...and the more it happens.... The worse it will be....and let's face it....the one thing that drives humans ...is money...the chances of officals closing down beaches due to sharks hunting us in the water....are slim to none...they will just go out and kill them all....and THAT WOULD be tragic!

they do remember their food source..BUT WE ARE NOT THEIR FOOD SOURCE! Once they take a bite of us, they know we're not food...not enough blubber...then they let go, unfortunately, they don't have hands, so the only way they know to test their food, is to bite it. Problem is we sometimes cannot survive the bite.

I.think that a hungry shark...will bite...and swallow ...anything it can get its mouth around and the second it tastes blood...it knows its food.... Simply put.... They have not found all the remains of the boy...... The shark can c...are less about blubber...I think its dangerous and foolish to assume WHAT a.shark will and will not except as food.... Theirs been more then a few attacks lately already this year...and countless close calls....if that's not proff enough for you...then go.swimming.

So sad!

yikes

and just to point out one more thing, ... that attack was off the cost of warm waters, .... blubber might not have been the sharks first priority, ... the shark saw the boy as a food source and if anyone thinks that it can tell the difference or care on way or the other, ...then your shark bate! Lol

and YES to the others, ... it IS very sad. .... God Bless that kid, .. I feel so sorry for his family.

sympathy for anyone that gets into shark infested waters and goes surfing and gets killed. stupid is as stupid does.

I.can NOT even believe that you frickin said that! .... Oh how I bet YOU would be singing a different tune if it was someone in YOUR family that died from an attack! ....so sorry that you have no feeling for humanity..and that people like you feel more for the frickin shark then the poor kid that died in its jaws! ...what a shame....

very sad.

Deadliest beach in the world?

I feel for the family and hope they find peace. However I read another story where Ben along with other surfers named the huge shark they saw in the waters Brutus. They saw this shark for a few days. So he knew the shark was there. The ...Ocean is the Ocean. When we enter it we know what lurks below. It's a risk we take. I hope they leave the shark a lone. Their are other places for swimming. Surfers know the risk. It's part of the love of surfing. R.I.P. Ben.

Thats a terrible way to die.

you need to spend less time posting on facebook, and more time learning spelling and grammar, good grief, I can't even bother to count all the errors, it's dizzying.

I could spell a four letter word for you very well....but a nasty comment like that would be a waste of my time...because its.clear that I could never measure up to your lack of class....it was a heated debate over an animal.....and... no matter what the difference of opinion was between me and others...not once did I attack anyone on this page..... It's an opinion....and clearly you need to grow up first before you lecture me on my spelling and gramor! ...

That's so sad. :(

It is very sad, but the area apperantly is known to be shark infested, the surfers know this and continue to surf that beach. Something tells me common-sense should have taken over the adrenaline rush of surfing in shark infested water. The Australians have great respect for these creatures and if they are hunting it down, it is for a reason, don't doubt that. The news media ofcourse are taking this way out of context.