WA coroner reveals likely reason behind diving instructor Martyn Tann’s Mullaoo Beach disappearance

A WA coroner says there is a “strong possibility” an experienced diving instructor who disappeared off a northern suburbs beach more than a decade ago was mauled in a fatal shark attack.

Martyn Edward Tann was last seen walking towards Mullaloo Beach about 1.15pm on Tuesday April 3, 2013, wearing a pair of blue and black board shorts and carrying a dark-coloured backpack.

The 24-year-old had distinctive dreadlocks and was not wearing a shirt or shoes.

He has not been seen since.

At an inquest on Monday, Detective Sergeant Jeremy Spivey, of the WA Police Missing Person’s Unit, told WA Coroner’s Court that a witness reported seeing a young man — who matched the description of Mr Tann — arrive at Mullaloo Beach and swim towards a yellow buoy, located several hundred metres offshore.

The witness said they briefly forgot about the swimmer, but later saw a “small black circle silhouette” when they looked towards the buoy.

“I thought it was the man’s head, I thought the man had managed to reach the buoy,” they said in a statement.

Just days before his disappearance, Mr Tann — a NSW local who had been visiting WA for his uncle’s wedding — had told his uncle he wanted to swim out to a yellow buoy at Mullaloo Beach.

Mr Tann was reported missing, triggering a four-day air, land and sea search.

Det. Sgt. Spivey recalled search conditions had been optimal, with minimal swell, meaning it would have been easy to spot a body in the water.

He said there was a chance Mr Tann was taken by a shark, but said it was “not uncommon for people to go into the water and for nothing to be found”.

“I believe he has gone into the water and as to what’s happened in the water it would be inconclusive to say, but when you look at the evidence there is the prospect of a shark attack,” he said.

Det. Sgt. Spivey said a dreadlock which washed onto Mullaloo Beach about two months after Mr Tann’s disappearance had been subject to DNA testing, but came back “inconclusive” because it was not attached to a root.

Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions marine biologist Dr Rory McAuley said it was possible Mr Tann had been attacked by a shark, noting that tiger shark activity often increased through autumn and winter.

“The yellow buoy that Mr Tann was seen swimming to ... that’s a fair way out, and anything that occurred that far out would have been more difficult to observe,” he said during evidence on Monday.

Acting State Coroner Sarah Linton said a shark attack was a “strong possibility”, noting that Mr Tann was a fit and experienced swimmer.

“I’m satisfied he’s someone who loved his family, he wouldn’t want them to be wondering what happened to him and be distressed,” she said.

“It seems most likely he went for a swim and something has happened ... you would expect him to get back to shore, (so) it does seem a shark attack is a strong possibility.”

She will hand down her findings at a later date.

Speaking outside court, Mr Tann’s father, Colin, said it was difficult to accept he would likely never know what happened to his son.

“It’s a situation where there’s no closure when you’ve got a missing person ... I think today went really well and there was no surprises, except I got a bit more clarification,” he said.

He said not a day went by where he and his family didn’t think about his son.

“There are always things that remind us of Martyn, so we like to think that he’s still with us and I think he always will be ... we always have hope, and we just don’t want to admit that he’s gone,” he said.