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Shark Kills Swimmer at Popular Perth Beach
Confirmed
In Short: A shark killed a swimmer off Sorrento Beach near Perth, Western Australia, in a scene reminiscent of the film Jaws.
A shark killed a swimmer off Sorrento Beach near Perth, Western Australia, on Friday morning, according to police. The incident occurred around 10:30 a.m. local time, with emergency services and police helicopters and boats dispatched to the area.
Surf Life Saving WA reported that an unidentified species of shark was involved, though a more than 16-foot great white shark was spotted near a nearby reef later that day. This marks the fifth shark-related death in Australia this year.
The Western Australia Police Force closed beaches in the area until further notice, following the incident. This comes after another shark attack in Western Australia just days prior, where a man lost part of his leg at Glenfield Beach, north of Perth.
Since 1791, there have been around 1,300 shark incidents in Australia, with more than 260 resulting in fatalities. This year alone, a 12-year-old boy died after being bitten by a shark in Sydney Harbour in January.
What's confirmed
- A shark killed a man as he swam off a popular beach near Perth in Western Australia on Friday, police said.
- "It was reported a male swimmer had been bitten by a shark while swimming along the coast," a Western Australia state police spokeswoman said in a statement.
- Police helicopters and boats scoured waters off Sorrento Beach after emergency services were called to the beach in the morning, officials said.
- "It was like a scene off Jaws where a body is flicked around like a rag doll," an unidentified male witness on the beach told local broadcaster Seven.
- Surf Life Saving WA said in a social media post that an unidentified species of shark was involved in the incident about 50 metres (160 feet) offshore.
- It was the fifth death from a shark attack in Australia this year.
- Authorities closed beaches in the area until further notice.
- It was the second shark attack in Western Australia this week, after a man lost part of his leg when he was bitten at Glenfield Beach, north of Perth.
What's still developing
- Another witness, Darrel Haythornthwaite, told the outlet the attack “was like a scene off Jaws”.
- A shark mauled a surfer at a beach in the town of Geraldton, about 250 miles north of Perth.