Western Australia Police said a man died from injuries sustained in an attack by a large great white shark off Rottnest Island, west of Perth.
The incident occurred around 10 a.m. local time Saturday (02:00 GMT). The 38-year-old man was brought by boat to Geordie Bay jetty, where paramedics and police performed CPR, but the victim died at the scene.
Local media images showed ambulances and rescue teams gathering near Horseshoe Reef, a renowned fishing and diving spot.
The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development reported the shark was four meters (13 feet) long and confirmed it was a great white.
This is the first fatal attack in Western Australia since March last year, when a man was attacked while surfing at Wharton Beach in a remote area.
Earlier this year, a series of attacks along Australia’s east coast forced authorities to close several beaches in New South Wales.
In September last year, a rare attack off a Sydney beach claimed the life of an experienced surfer in his 50s.
The previous fatality in Sydney was in 2022, when a 35-year-old British diving instructor became the city’s first shark attack victim in nearly 60 years.
According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, most shark attacks occur along the east and southeast coasts, averaging 20 incidents per year.
