A man spearfishing with friends at the Great Barrier Reef has been killed by a shark, marking the second deadly incident in Australia in just over a week and the third this year.
Details of the Attack
The 39-year-old victim, a resident of Mount Sheridan, Australia, was diving from a boat with three companions at Kennedy Shoal, approximately 160 kilometers south of Cairns, when the fatal attack occurred just after 12 p.m. on Saturday. Police reported that one of the men pulled the victim from the water and witnessed the attack firsthand, describing it as a terrifying event.
The victim and the other three individuals managed to return to shore, but the man had sustained injuries incompatible with life, according to the local ambulance service. Police Inspector Elaine Burns stated, "The man had been spearfishing when he was attacked and died from a critical head injury."
Recent Fatal Shark Attacks in Australia
This incident follows another fatal shark attack on May 16, when a spearfisher was killed at a coral reef off Rottnest Island near Western Australia. In that case, a 16-foot white shark was suspected. Earlier this year, four people were attacked within 48 hours along New South Wales beaches, resulting in the death of a 12-year-old boy. In November, a rare double shark attack claimed the life of a Swiss woman and critically injured a man at Crowdy Bay National Park.
Sharks Reported in the Area
The species of shark involved in Saturday's attack remains unknown, but bull sharks had been reported by fishers in the area prior to the incident. Charter boat captain Gererd Pike noted that his vessel encountered a pack of six bull sharks about six miles from Kennedy Shoal, describing them as "vicious, unpredictable." He added, "We were not going to dip toes in the water." Rob Parsonage of Mission Beach Dive remarked that shark attacks in the area are rare but occur due to competition between sharks and fishermen.
