Australian surfer Ben Gerring dies after losing leg in horrific 'great white' shark attack near Perth

The 29-year-old died of his injuries after three days in hospital

A photo taken on 31 May, 2016, shows a rescue helicopter arriving to transport a critically injured surfer (AFP/Getty Images)

An Australian surfer has died after his leg was bitten off by a shark near Perth.

Ben Gerring, 29, was pulled out of the water by fellow surfers and taken to hospital with critical injuries on Tuesday.

Western Australia Police said he died of his injuries on Friday night.

His brother, Rick, said he was engaged and that the couple were expecting their first child.

“The hospital staff gave us those [three] days,” he told ABC News.

“Obviously we were always hoping for the best outcome, it was always at the back of our minds that this could happen, but they gave us that time to say our goodbyes.

”Ben loved the ocean, crabbing and surfing but his greatest love is and always will be Jasmine - he was so proud to become a father and a husband.”

Witnesses said Mr Gerring’s leg was severed above the knee in the attack at Falcon Bay Beach in Mandurah, which was seen by dozens of surfers, beachgoers and children.

Flowers and surfboards have been left by friends and locals at the beach, with one reading “keep rippin’ Benny”, while tributes have also been paid on social media.

Local authorities captured a 14ft great white shark near Mandurah on Thursday, which died on the line, but it was unclear if it had attacked Mr Gerring.

Efforts to trap and kill sharks have caused fierce debate in Australia, with proponents arguing it improves safety while conservationists argue for other measures.

Sharks attacked a record 98 people around the world in 2015, researchers said, while 13 people have died from bites in Western Australia since 2000.