Missing gambler seen bare on seashore could have been ‘eaten by sharks’ after poker win
A winning poker player who mysteriously vanished after being seen wandering naked down a beach may have been eaten by sharks, according to a new inquest
Steven Fenwick went missing in 2019(Image: NSW Police)
A man who went missing after winning big at poker may have been eaten by sharks after being seen walking naked on a beach, according to an inquest.
Steven “Feno” Fenwick, 33, has been missing and presumed dead since January 2019, after he vanished following a big win on a poker machine.
The last official sighting of Fenwick was on a bus with his then girlfriend in Newcastle, Australia, however a witness described seeing “an apparently naked and disorientated male” on the same beach that the missing man’s clothes were discovered on.
Cops suggested that foul play could be behind Fenwick’s mysterious disappearance, with New South Wales police treating the incident as a suspected murder.
However, a new inquest has suggested that the Australian’s death seems more likely to have been naturally caused, with the possibility of a shark attack not ruled out.
Police initially suspected Fenwick had been murdered (Image: NSW Police)
Part of the inquest’s intention was to work out why Fenwick might have removed his clothes, with one theory being that he may have taken a drug that caused him to feel extremely hot, as per ABC.
A coroner involved in the inquiry explained how Fenwick had been a regular taker of methamphetamine, which on several occasions was known to make him overheat.
Coroner Dean Jordan told the judge presiding over the inquest that Fenwick may have entered the water in an effort to cool down, and subsequently drowned.
Cops found clothes belonging to Fenwick on the beach(Image: NSW Police)
He stated: “this [drowning] hypothesis cannot be ruled out and it is supported by witnesses’ comments he made about going for a swim.
“There is evidence he had brought a towel with him and family evidence of him overheating using ice, leading to taking several cold showers a day.”
Jordan also examined the possibility that Fenwick may have been attacked by sharks, especially as the waters around the beach he vanished from are known to be a breeding ground for great whites.
In the inquest suggested that Fenwick’s body could have been eaten by sharks(Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)
However, the coroner ruled that if sharks were involved, it was more likely that this took place after he had already died.
Jordan said: “Three shark experts were asked about the possible role of sharks in the Stockton Beach area. Stockton Bight is considered the southern part of Port Stephens’ white shark nursery. If sharks were involved at all, then post-drowning scavenging was more likely.”
He also acknowledged that the findings may be difficult for Fenwick’s family and friends to hear, saying: “As at the 28th of October, there are no indications Steven Fenwick is active or alive. It is clear he was a much-loved son, grandson and brother,”
“I would also like to acknowledge your pain and frustration regarding these circumstances. Some of the evidence is going to be challenging. It is necessary for me to try to understand what has happened. I apologise for that in advance.”
The inquiry also stated that it believed Fenwick had not been murdered.
