A well-loved pastor tragically died after being attacked by a shark while spearfishing off the coast of Central Queensland, Australia. An hour after the attack Luke Walford, 40, succumbed to his injuries. The attack occurred while Walford was engaged in one of his favorite pastimes. He was well known for spearfishing which was a passion he inherited from his father. The pastor was accompanied by family members during the ill-fated outing.
The Cathedral of Praise Church commemorated Walford’s life and his dedication to the congregation, in a heartfelt tribute shared on Facebook. Tributes have come in from friends, family, and members of the wider community, reflecting the deep impact he had made through his ministry. The pastor had devoted 9 years of his life to ministry.
“He was attacked by a shark while doing something he loved – spearfishing, a passion that was passed down to him by his father,” the memorial read. “He was truly a beloved figure, especially among our young people, children, and the entire congregation.” Walford was highly regarded for his leadership and his ability to connect with people of all ages.
A spokesperson for Queensland Ambulance Service spokesperson, We don’t respond to these very often but when we do they are unique incidents that require us to work with other services to bring the patient to the hospital in a timely manner.” She went on to say “We were lucky in this case as shark bites can be significant but we were able to transport him with minor to moderate injuries on this occasion.”
Earlier this year, a beloved pastor in Minnesota recently died during a freak ice skating accident when he fell through the ice after a church service. According to reports, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office found the body of 78-year-old Greg Garmer, a retired pastor and member of the Gloria Dei Lutheran Church. The tragic death of Garmer sparked a wide range of reactions from friends and family.
“He was a beloved member of the church and wider community; dedicated to the care and service of all. He was an avid outdoors person, the first and last of the season to be out cross-country skiing. He will be deeply missed,” members of the First Lutheran Church said.“The Church is stunned, as you can imagine, devastated [and] heartbroken, but also filled with gratitude for his witness, for his ministry, his friendship, his collegiality, and his faith,” the Rev. David Carlson, pastor at Gloria Dei, told local outlet WDIO earlier this week.
The reverend added, “I think Greg really lived life to the fullest. Greg really gifted us [and] helped us think about important matters, and he was involved in different book discussion groups and different outreach ministries. He was always there when there was some kind of ministry of accompanying people who were on the margins, whether it was our neighborhood breakfast or whether it was speaking for Lutheran Social Service or Minnesota Interfaith Power and Light.”
Kathryn Tiede, associate vice president of philanthropy at Lutheran Social Services of Minnesota, was an associate of Garmer’s who described him as the “most congenial, most sincere, most generous person I have ever met.” She added, “You couldn’t slow him down. He was always doing something. In fact, just last night a friend of mine texted me that, she’s maybe 35, and she was out last winter cross-country skiing, and he passed her on the tracks.”