Kye Schaefer: Young surfer stabbed to death moments after emerging from the ocean in Coffs Harbour

A young surfer who was stabbed to death minutes after he emerged from the waves in a regional NSW town has been remembered as ‘gentle soul’.

Kye Schaefer, 22, was stabbed in broad daylight on the beach at Coffs Harbour while still wearing his wetsuit after a morning surf on Wednesday. He died shortly after being rushed to hospital.

Police are still searching for his killer and are yet to release a description. 

The popular young man, who had been in a long-term relationship with his girlfriend, was a keen surfer and member of the Woolgoolga Soccer Club.

‘His loving sister and her partner were extremely close. Kye will be profoundly missed by his family, friends and members of the community,’ friend Heather Isubikalu Ngobi said.

His uncle Ralph earlier made the shocking revelation that Kye’s mother worked in the same hospital her son was rushed where he sadly died.

Mr Schaefer’s uncle has called for changes in the law to tackle the soaring number of knife attacks in Australia.

Still dressed in his wetsuit, the Mr Schaefer was found with significant injuries beside his car near the Coffs Harbour Surf Life Saving Club about 6.40am on Thursday. 

Paramedics treated him at the scene before taking him to hospital, where he later died. 

His uncle, speaking with Ben Fordham on 2GB, said that in ‘the cycle of life, people you love pass. Sometimes it’s old age, sometimes it’s a terrible accident, and for our family right now it’s just murder’.

Fighting back tears, Ralph said his ‘first emotion is just anger’. 

‘I’m angry obviously at this attacker. But I’m angry about politicians (too).’

He called on the NSW Government to bring in a version of Jack’s Law, which was introduced in Queensland after Jack Beasley, 17, was killed during a fight with two other teens outside a convenience store in Surfers Paradise. 

The ‘wanding’ laws allow police to use hand-held metal detectors in public places to uncover concealed knives. 

‘How long do we have to wait here in New South Wales? This will save lives. Why are they asleep at the wheel? It’s our sons and daughters,’ Ralph said. 

‘I hope all the listeners and people in New South Wales are angry. He was just coming back from the surf (and was) stabbed eight times.

‘What on earth is going on? Give the police these powers and save lives. Do your job.’

On Friday, Coffs Harbour detectives continued their search for the attacker, for whom a description has not been released.

Avenues of inquiry include whether the surfer came across someone breaking into his car, and what if any relation a confrontation at a second beachside area on Thursday morning had to the homicide.

‘We’ve identified some items of interest at a campsite around the jetty area,’ Detective Chief Inspector Guy Flaherty told reporters.

‘This area may or may not be related but at this point we’ve declared a crime scene.’

Ralph paid tribute to his ‘lovely young’ nephew.

‘More than anything else, he just had a heart of gold, he really did. (He had) a gentle, caring nature, (it) was his greatest asset. We’re just broken.’ 

Two weeks ago, NSW Premier Chris Minns said he was looking at adopting Jack’s Law in NSW after a spate of high-profile knife attacks that shocked Sydney.

Police, emergency services and transport unions have backed the change and decried the ‘appalling incidence of youth knife crime’.

But the Council for Civil Liberties warned of a knee-jerk response to ‘violent and distressing, but isolated’ incidents and worried police would disproportionately search marginalised communities.