Man killed in great white shark attack in western Australia

The 38-year-old was bitten at a popular diving and fishing spot near the city of Perth, police say.

A man has died from his injuries after being attacked by a great white shark in western Australia, authorities say.

The attack unfolded just before 10am local time Saturday (02:00 GMT) off Rottnest Island, west of the city of Perth, Western Australia police said in a statement.

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Australia’s ABC News reported that the 38-year-old victim was taken by boat to Geordie Bay Jetty, where paramedics and police performed CPR. He died at the scene.

Images published by the outlet show ambulance and rescue crews gathered at the popular diving and fishing spot, Horseshoe Reef.

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development told the AFP news agency that the shark measured four metres (13 feet) and confirmed it was a long great white.

The attack marked the first fatal shark attack in Western Australia since last March, when a man was mauled while surfing at Wharton Beach in a remote area.

A string of attacks along the country’s eastern coast earlier this year triggered the closure of several New South Wales beaches.

Last September, a rare fatal attack unfolded off a Sydney beach, killing an experienced surfer in his 50s.

The most recent deadly mauling in Sydney before that was in 2022, when a 35-year-old British diving instructor became the first person to be killed in an attack off the city in nearly 60 years.

The majority of shark attacks occur along the east and southeast seaboard of Australia, with an average of 20 such incidents a year, according to Australia’s Institute of Health and Welfare.