A Melbourne surfer is presumed dead after he was attacked by a shark in front of his girlfriend and helpless onlookers at a popular beach in Western Australia.

Steven Payne and his girlfriend were five weeks into a six-month holiday around Australia when they visited Wharton Beach in Condingup, about 60 kilometres east of Esperance, yesterday.

He was surfing in chest-deep water with two others when he was attacked by the shark.

The incident dragged on for minutes as his girlfriend and crowds of people at the beach watched on.

“The partner observed what happened yesterday which is tragic and you can imagine how they and the partner feel,” Senior Sergeant Chris Taylor told reporters this afternoon.

Witnesses described hearing screams from the water.

”There were screams. There were people saying like ‘get out’, everything – it was a very panicked moment,” bystander Joscelin Boissieux said.

“We heard a scream and everyone got out of the water.”

“A lot of people on the beach just standing, staring out. A lot of people in disbelief,” witness Tony Carmichael said.

There was only a surfboard left floating about 30 metres from the shore.

“The water next to it was dark, with a shark’s fin circling around,” Boissieux said.

Police were called to the scene about 12.10pm yesterday, when a search was launched for Payne.

Today, police said they believe he is now dead. 

“Unfortunately, that search has not uncovered the surfer’s body and I can also confirm our search is a recovery, not a rescue,” Taylor said.

Payne’s family are heading to Warton Beach as the investigation is passed on to the coroner.

“The family, they’re distraught and trying to come to terms with what happened yesterday,” Taylor said.

Wharton Beach remains closed.

There have been no reports of further shark sightings.