Emily Brown
The last happy moments of dad Duncan Craw and his son were captured on camera just before the father tragically died and was eaten by a shark.
Duncan, 32, had been at the beach with his two-year-old son, Levi, and his wife, Taylia, when he went missing near Port MacDonnell in South Australia's Lower South East in 2021.
Campbell Hill, of South Australia police, said at the time that a 'large shark' had recently been seen in the area adjacent to where Duncan had been snorkeling on the day he went missing.
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But Taylia had no idea what would be about to happen to her husband when she snapped what would be the last photo of him.
In the image, little Levi can be seen looking happy as he plays on the beach, wearing shorts, t-shirt and a hat. He's facing away from the water where his dad can be seen in the background; appearing as a small dot as he explores the ocean with his snorkeling gear.
See the image below:
Later, after Duncan disappeared, search crews found two swimming fins and a damaged wetsuit.
Hill initially said that 'items in the water' had led authorities to treat the incident as a 'shark attack-related matter', however, further investigations indicated that Duncan died of natural causes before the shark came along.
In a statement, his family explained: "While we may never know for sure, based on the evidence we do have, we now believe it is most likely Duncan suffered a medical episode long before the arrival of the shark.
"It brings us comfort to know that he would have passed away peacefully in the water."
Duncan was remembered as a man with a 'heart of gold'; a 'cheerful, loving, helpful son' and a 'kind and cheeky brother to his sisters'.
Speaking to Australia's ABC News, his family said: "It's also impossible to fully explain the hole this will leave behind in the lives of all the relatives and friends who love Duncan.
"We will never forget Duncan and we will make sure his memory lives on," they added.
A GoFundMe page titled 'Duncan's Legacy for Levi' was launched after the father passed away to help 'set Levi up for the future'.
The page explained that Levi knew his father was 'in heaven', and that Duncan’s family and friends were 'determined to ensure he will remember how much Duncan loved his little man'.
The fundraiser went on to exceed its target of $50,000 AUD ($32,477 USD), raising $56,385 AUD ($36,624 USD).