As his mates tried to get Zac Young to shore after a tiger shark attack he told them 'I love you guys'

Paramedics work to try and save Zac Young as his mates wait by after he was attacked by a shark. Photo Frank Redward

"I LOVE you guys" were the last words teenage bodyboarder Zac Young told the friends that pulled him from water after a shark attack took his life on the North Coast.

Mr Young and his friends Lindsy Isaac, Kurt Gillan, 18, and Shayden Schrader, 15, had been surfing 200m from shore at Campbells Beach north of Coffs Harbour when an eight-foot tiger shark came up from behind Zac.

Zac Young’s friends get together at a memorial service at The Point Church in Port Macquarie. Source: News Limited

Zac’s friends comfort each other at a memorial service at The Point Church in Port Macquarie. Source: News Limited

His friend Lindsy Isaac bravely said Zac fought off the shark before he and his friends managed to pull him to shore and call for help.

"It's the scariest thing I've ever done," Lindsy said outside a memorial service at Port Macquarie High School this morning.

Lindsy said the last thing Zac said to them was "I love you guys, I love you so much."

"He died doing what he loved to do," Lindsy said. "He loved God and surfing."

In front of a packed memorial service Zac's father Kevin praised his son's friends before he hugged and kissed them.

"These three young guys didn't run, they didn't run," Mr Young wept. "I want you to know these three guys."

Mr Young told the congregation that he had only heard the real story 15 minutes before the service and that he did not want to go into the details.

"They told me he seemed to be at peace and not in pain," he said.

Zac Young is taken away in an ambulance with emergency workers unable to do anything to help. Picture: Frank Redward Source: No Source

Zac was mauled at Reicks Point surf break, Campbell's Beach, north of Coffs Harbour, NSW, about 2pm yesterday. It is understood both his legs were nearly severed in the attack.

The trio carried him to the beach and began CPR but he died at the scene.

"His mates struggled with the shark for a short time. Then the shark has let go and friends then courageously managed to get him to shore," Inspector Joanna Reid told media at the scene.

An ambulance spokeswoman said: "The swimmers pulled him out of the water but he died of a cardiac arrest."

A police source said swimmers had seen a shape in the water earlier in the day but had discounted any threat.

They said they thought they saw something but decided it was nothing," the source said.

All beaches in Coffs Harbour were closed immediately as local water police patrolled the waters in search of the shark.

The area is home to a break known as The Well, popular among bodyboarders, drawing riders from up and down the coast.

It is next to a deep channel that attracts schools of jewfish and sharks that feed on them.

Zac Young (3rd from left) with some of his friends in a Facebook post. Source: No Source

Zac Young was well loved by his mates who helped to fight the shark off before trying to get him to shore. Picture: Facebook Source: No Source

Zac Young loved surfing. Picture: Supplied Source: News Limited

On Friday, Mr Young had posted a request on his Facebook page asking friends if anyone had a spare board he could borrow.

As word spread about his death, the Port Macquarie Bodyboard Association Facebook page was flooded with tributes from fellow surfers and friends.

"Love you brother. I know you're surfing the sickest barrels in Heaven right now," said Brandon Erga.

Maria Field-Azzopardi added: "A very big loss to the world - what a wonderful young Man."

Jill Cummings said: He had the best smile ... Completely lit up the room with it.

Grant Maniac urged bodyboarders to "look after for each other"

Mr Young, who had been undertaking an internship at non-profit group Youth For Christ, had been celebrating getting his driver's licence ahead of the holidays.

"I only saw him yesterday, we are all shocked," a Youth For Christ spokesman said. "He had just gotten his P-plates, he was always full of life."

Zac Young (right) was undertaking an internship at non-profit group Youth For Christ. Source: No Source

A devout Christian, Mr Young often posted what he described as "life's tips" on his Facebook page.

"God is calling each of us to impact the nations and make history. My prayer is that you find out what your calling is. Make it your vision and go for it," he said.

A few days earlier, he posted another life tip: "Stop looking at what you don't have, and start thanking God for what you do :)"

A NSW Primary Industries shark biologist will travel to the scene to study the attack to help identify the shark.

Greg Hackfath, chief lifeguard for Coffs Harbour City Council, said shark issues in the area were rare.

"We've had two recorded shark attacks ever - that's in 150 years of settlement. So it's highly unusual," Mr Hackfath said.

"We see sharks but the common saying is that you don't worry about them because they're well fed.

"You might see one every now and then but they'd be chasing a school of fish."

Mr Young and his mate Mr Gillan were keen bodyboarding competitors, entering local events and posting pictures online.

SOURCE:NEWS

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Montana teacher Stacey Rambold's 30-day jail term 'too lenient' says attorney general

Stacey Rambold, a 54-year-old teacher who served a 30-day sentence in prison for raping a former student who later killed herself. Source: AP

A US state's attorney general's office has asked the state Supreme Court to throw out a 30-day sentence given to a teacher who raped a 14-year-old girl, saying the punishment was illegally lenient.

The state formally filed its arguments in the appeal of the highly criticized sentence for Stacey Rambold, who was released from Montana State Prison in September.

District Judge G. Todd Baugh sparked outrage when he commented in August that victim Cherice Moralez was "older than her chronological age." Moralez killed herself before the case went to trial.

The judge later apologized and said the comments were based on videotaped interviews with Moralez that have not been publicly released.

The state argues the child was not legally capable of consent and that the judge's sentence was illegal.

The brief argues the minimum legal sentence would have been two years in prison. But prosecutors said they still believe a sentence of 20 years in prison, with 10 years suspended, would be appropriate.

Baugh relied on a different section of the same law cited by prosecutors when he gave the defendant 15 years with all but 31 days suspended and a one-day credit for time served.

Cherice Moralez, who was raped in 2007 when she was 14 by teacher Stacey Rambold in Billings, Montana.

Rambold's attorney, Jay Lansing, has not responded to repeated requests for comment on the case. His office said Wednesday that he had no plans to do so.

The attorney general's office said Rambold's sentence should be vacated and remanded for sentencing.

Prosecutors said that "there is no legitimate hypothetical that allows blame to be placed on a 14-year-old student who has been victimized by her 47-year-old teacher."

Recently, several advocacy groups asked the Supreme Court to be allowed to file supporting arguments in the appeal. They argued they can provide expertise in legal and social advocacy for women's rights.

The judge's statements reflected "stereotypical, prejudicial, and generally false beliefs regarding sexual assault," the groups say.

Rambold has registered as a level 1 sex offender, meaning he's considered a low risk to re-offend. He will remain on probation through 2028 unless the original sentence is overruled.

SOURCE:NEWS
             
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Victim 'fantasised' about being killed and eaten

Police cordons block a property near Reichenau, eastern Germany after police officer was arrested on suspicion of killing and chopping up a man he met on the internet. Picture: AP Source: AP

A GERMAN police officer has been arrested on suspicion of killing and chopping up a man he met on the internet who had long fantasised about being killed and eaten, authorities say.

The handwriting and document analysis specialist was arrested last week at his workplace, the Criminal Technical Institute in the eastern city of Dresden, authorities said. He told investigators that he fatally stabbed the victim in the throat on November 4, hours after the two met in person for the first time.

The 55-year-old said he then chopped up the body into multiple pieces. The suspect pointed officers to a number of places around his property, south of Dresden, where he had buried the remains, city police chief Dieter Kroll said at a televised news conference.

The killing happened about a month after the pair first met in an internet chat room, police said. The 59-year-old victim, whose name wasn't released, travelled about 400 kilometres (250 miles) by bus from Hannover to the meeting.

Police with a sniffing dog investigate the area around a house near Reichenau, eastern Germany. Picture: AP Source:AP

Police started looking into the case when the victim was reported missing November 11 by a colleague. Two days later, witnesses told officers that "the missing man had fantasised since his youth about being killed and eaten by another person," Kroll said.

There is no indication at this point that the suspect ate body parts, and the suspect denied having done so, prosecutor Lorenz Haase said.

He said that the suspect didn't mention whether the two had any sexual relations before the killing.

"That's under investigation," Haase said in a telephone interview. "He said that his victim wanted to be killed and he fulfilled this wish."

Investigator Maik Mainda said the victim and the suspected killer maintained "very intense contact by chat, by mail, by SMS but also by telephone" after first becoming acquainted in early October. The website they used says it deals with "exotic meat."

Police investigate the area around a house near Reichenau, eastern Germany. Picture: AP Source: AP

The men agreed to meet up in Dresden on November 4, and agreed that the killing should take place shortly afterwards, Mainda added.

Police are only just beginning their investigation, he said.

"I can't give any conclusive information yet about the actual motivation of the suspect for killing his victim. We are investigating in all directions."

The case appears to have at least some parallels with a saga that both fascinated and appalled Germany a decade ago, when confessed cannibal Armin Meiwes was arrested for the killing of an internet acquaintance. Meiwes, who captured the killing on video, said his victim answered an internet posting seeking a young man for "slaughter and consumption."

Meiwes was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison. He argued unsuccessfully to Germany's highest court that the killing should be classified as a mercy killing and maintained that his sentence was disproportionate.

The Dresden case "will show how easily people can come together with the most gruesome fantasies on the internet and exchange their perversions in increasingly crass manner," police chief Kroll said. "In 99 per cent of cases, they get their kick out of the exchange."

SOURCE:NEWS

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Glasgow chopper crash kills 8, injures at least 14

A helicopter crashed into The Clutha. Source: Twitter
The remains of the helicopter, clearly displaying its police label, on the roof of the pub. Source: Supplied

SCOTTISH police say eight people are now confirmed dead following the crash of a police helicopter into a crowded Glasgow pub.

The chopper smashed into the roof of The Clutha pub on Friday night, where more than 100 revellers had packed in to watch a band play ahead of St. Andrew's Day, Scotland's national day celebrating its patron saint.

Chief Constable Stephen House says all those aboard the helicopter - two officers and a civilian pilot - died when the aircraft crashed into the roof of The Clutha pub and five other people were killed on the ground.

He said on Saturday that 14 injured people remain in Glasgow hospitals following the crash at 10:25pm (9:25am Saturday AEDT).

The scene of the crash. Source: Twitter

As of Saturday morning, it appeared that no Australians were hurt in the crash.

"We are not aware of any Australians involved," a spokeswoman for the Australian High Commission in London said.

"We remain in contact with the Scottish authorities."

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said UK authorities had not advised it of any Australians affected "at this stage".

The view from the top of the pub. Source: Twitter

Witnesses said the helicopter dropped like a stone, while people inside the pub heard a whoosh before the roof caved in and the air filled with dust and screams.

Emergency services worked through the night in a bid to recover people from the wreckage.

A photographer at the scene said the helicopter appeared to have smashed through the top of the bar, with a rotor blade sticking out of the roof.

The site by the banks of the River Clyde had been cordoned off, with emergency service workers visible on the roof Saturday. A tarpaulin had been placed over the area where the helicopter hit.

Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond called it a "black day" for the nation as emergency service workers tried to make the one-storey building secure enough to permit full access to the scene.

A sombre Mr Salmond - who just days earlier was celebrating the release of a legal blueprint for Scottish independence - sent his condolences to the bereaved and solidarity to those injured.

"This is a black day for Glasgow and for Scotland. But it's also St. Andrew's Day and it's a day we can take pride and courage in how we respond to adversity and tragedy," the nationalist leader said.

This is unbelievable. Just spent 20 minutes pulling people out the bar. Apparently a helicopter crashed on the roof. pic.twitter.com/4hoSwgwX2E

— Wesley Shearer (@scotscribbler) November 29, 2013

He praised the "instinctive courage of ordinary Glaswegians going to assist their fellow citizens in extremity".

The Air Accidents Investigation Branch has sent a team to the scene to try to work out why the Eurocopter EC135 T2 helicopter crashed.

Witnesses told of confusion, terror and then bravery after the accident.

Grace MacLean, who was inside the pub at the time of the crash, told the BBC that the revellers were listening to a ska band.

"We were all just having a nice time and then there was like a 'whoosh' noise - there was no bang, there was no explosion," she said.

"And then there was some smoke, what seemed like smoke. The band were laughing and we were all joking that the band had made the roof come down.

"They carried on playing and then it started to come down more and someone started screaming and then the whole pub just filled with dust. You couldn't see anything, you couldn't breathe."

Router blade stuck through the roof pic.twitter.com/IdGRwAb04r

— Richard Jones (@Richard12545678) November 30, 2013

The nine-piece band, Esperanza, said on their Facebook page that they were all well.

"Despite the situation everyone was so helpful and caring of each other. The police, ambulances, firefighters all did a stellar job," they said.

Britain's former Europe minister Jim Murphy told the BBC he was driving through the area shortly after the incident. 

Jesus. Think I just saw a helicopter crash in Glasgow.

— Gordon Smart (@gordonsmart) November 29, 2013

"I jumped out and tried to help. There were people with injuries. Bad gashes to the head. Some were unconscious. I don't know how many," he said, his shirt bloodied.

Mr Murphy, who is the opposition Labour Party's international development spokesman, said he and others formed a human chain to get survivors out of the bar.

"The helicopter was inside the pub. It's a mess. I could only get a yard or two inside. I helped carry people out." 

Gordon Smart, who edits the Scottish edition of The Sun newspaper, said he saw the helicopter coming down.

"It looked like it was dropping from a great height at a great speed," he told Sky News television.

"There was no fireball and I did not hear an explosion. It fell like a stone. The engine seemed to be spluttering." 

Helicopter crash into Clutha. Praying they'll get everyone out.pic.twitter.com/Me3fQIAsBS

— Christina O'Neill (@crushtina) November 29, 2013

Pubgoer William Byrne said the roof collapsed shortly after he heard a loud niose.

In the initial confusion, "I thought 'has the band blown something electrical like a speaker?' Mr Byrne told the BBC."I was just coming back from the other side of the pub and there was a huge bang.

"There was a couple of seconds of almost stillness after this bang and then the whole other side of the pub collapsed in on itself, the roof and the gantry of the bar collapsed.

"The side we were in was covered in dust but, from debris, relatively unscathed," he said, with the bar going dark.

"The left hand side of the pub just collapsed. People on our side of the pub were so, so lucky.

"I went outside, we held the door open, trying to make people to file out one by one.

"We've gone back in and helped lift the gantry up and get a few people out."

Brendan Riordan said it had been tough to move in the bar with the amount of people enjoying the concert.

He told the BBC he heard "a very loud bang" before a cloud of dust filled the pub.

"I was on the right side of the pub where the band were performing", adding that the central and left sides had caved in.

"After I exited the pub I saw people coming out covered in blood and covered in dust.

"There were people quite desperate and just before I left the inside of the pub I noticed that the ceiling had fallen towards the bar.

"People were not aware that a helicopter had crash-landed on the pub."

Retired firefighter Edward Waltham ran inside to help with the rescue effort.

"I helped grab a couple of people. One gentleman in particular who was completely covered in dust, who had very shallow breathing and appeared to be quite badly injured." he told the BBC.

"My initial reaction for him from my experience was to try not to move him because he had been in a crush situation.

"But as we were lying there other people were literally being pulled out of the pub and more or less thrown on top of us."

SOURCE:NEWS

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Apple discloses what it's sharing with governments

We've been hearing a lot lately about the US government secretly gathering information from Google, Yahoo, and other tech giants.

But what about Apple?

The Cupertino-based corporation, not yet caught up in the NSA scandals, has decided to take disclosure into its own hands. They've issued a report detailing what type of information they are sharing with what national governments.

"We have reported all the information we are legally allowed to share," the seven-page .pdf explains, "and Apple will continue to advocate for greater transparency about the requests we receive."

The heart of the report is a table listing 31 countries that have demanded and received information. For each country, the table lists such statistics as the number of law enforcement account requests and in how many of those data was disclosed.

The numbers are intriguing. For instance, Germany has made 93 requests, yet Apple has only disclosed data on five of them. "In cases where no data was disclosed, Apple may have objected to a government request for legal reasons or searched our records and discovered that we have no relevant information."

But the real shock comes when you scroll down to the bottom of the alphabetical table and check the stats for the United States. Not only are the numbers vastly larger; they're also approximations. Whereas the United Kingdom has made 127 law enforcement account requests, the US has made somewhere between 1000 and 2000.

Is Apple unsure? Of course not. "At the time of this report, the U.S. government does not allow Apple to disclose, except in broad ranges, the number of national security orders, the number of accounts affected by the orders, or whether content, such as emails, was disclosed."

At least in public, Apple is taking the moral high road. "We strongly oppose this gag order, and Apple has made the case for relief from these restrictions in meetings and discussions with the White House, the U.S. Attorney General, congressional leaders, and the courts."

It's not all about international terrorism. "The most common account requests involve robberies and other crimes or requests from law enforcement officers searching for missing persons or children, finding a kidnapping victim, or hoping to prevent a suicide."

Mostly they share "information about an account holder’s iTunes or iCloud account, such as a name and an address. In very rare cases, we are asked to provide stored photos or email. We consider these requests very carefully and only provide account content in extremely limited circumstances."

Apple deserves praise for this sort of disclosure, but they're not above using the report to tweak the nose of their competition--especially Google. "Apple offers customers a single, straightforward privacy policy…our business does not depend on collecting personal data. We have no interest in amassing personal information about our customers."

When you base your business model on selling hardware at a very high profit margin, you may not need to spy on your customers. But if Apple is truly protecting its customers as much as it claims, good for them.

SOURCE;NEWS

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