Ep 8 | Katie Thompson | Grief, Loss & Life After a Fatal Shark Attack | Crossing the Tideline

On Father's Day, September 5 2021, Tim Thompson was fatally attacked by a shark while surfing at Shelley Beach, Emerald Beach near Coffs Harbour. He was 31 years old. His partner Katie Thompson was at home, eight months pregnant with their daughter Elka. She found out through a link to an ABC news article her mum sent her.Katie talks about the morning Tim died, an ordinary Sunday they had spent at home talking about how different the following Father's Day would be. How the news reached her. What the first weeks looked like when the logistics of death gave her something to do, and what happened when they stopped. Raising a newborn alone while carrying grief that nobody around her had a reference point for. Writing letters to Tim and to Elka because she couldn't find a single resource that spoke to what she was going through. And how five years on, she has moved from surviving to something that feels closer to thriving, even as she watches Elka begin to grapple with growing up without her dad.Katie also speaks about the media handling of Tim's death, the Bite Club community and why she eventually decided to share her story publicly.Support a shark deterrant rebate in NSW. https://jyem13.github.io/nsw-shark-rebate/