A grieving father has paid tribute to a young diver fatally injured in a great white shark attack near the Chatham Islands, saying he was a “very tough, young fella”.

Commercial diver Jade Kahukore-Dixon, 24, was named as the victim of the attack on Tuesday.

He was brought to Waitangi Wharf after the attack and met by emergency services before being rushed to the Chatham Island Health Centre, where he died, police said.

Kahukore-Dixon’s grieving father Jacky Dixon told Stuff his son was “an amazing boy” who loved fishing and diving.

He said he had limited information about what had happened to his son, but understood he was killed by a great white shark.

“I couldn’t believe it. I kept picturing him when he was little. I’m not going to have my son,” he said through tears.

Kahukore-Dixon was a commercial diver who lived on the Chatham Islands. He was the sole director and shareholder of newly-formed company Nomad Diving Limited, which was registered in June this year.

Jade Dixon, 24, has been named as the man who died after a shark attack near the Chatham Islands.

“He would do anything to protect his family. He was an amazing boy, a very much loved member of the family,” his father said.

Dixon told Stuff his son would often see great white sharks, but wasn’t afraid of them.

“He thought he was one with the ocean ... [He] wasn’t scared of nothing.”

Kahukore-Dixon was also described as a promising rugby player and represented Hastings Boy High School in a regional chess tournament.

Kahukore-Dixon’s grandmother, Sandy, described him as “tough as old boots”, RNZ reported.

In a Facebook post she said Kahukore-Dixon had been “killed by a great white shark”.

Police confirmed this afternoon a man had been attacked about midday.

“Emergency services were called around midday, following reports the man who had been diving off a boat had been critically injured,” police said.

Chatham Islands Mayor Monique Croon said the attack had rocked the island community.

“I flew off the island this morning but many in our community are divers, so everybody is in shock,” Croon said.

Croon said the diving community had headed to the hospital to offer their support.

Hato Hone St John said they were notified of an incident near Chatham Island at 11.15am. They responded with one ambulance.

A Flying Doctors Service plane was also sent from Christchurch but had turned around.

The Department of Conservation confirmed it was “aware of a shark attack near the Chatham Islands this morning”.

Police said their thoughts are with the family involved. The victim’s death will be referred to the coroner.

It comes after a 21-year-old woman was attacked by a shark in a Southland estuary late last year. The culprit was thought to be a sevengill shark – a species known for moving closer to shore in summer.

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