Rottnest Island shark attack leaves man in his 30s critical

A man in his 30s was critically injured after a shark attack off Geordie Bay on rottnest island on the morning of the incident. Emergency services were scrambled just before 10am, and an RAC Rescue helicopter was sent to the scene.

Geordie Bay response

WA Police was advised of a possible shark attack off Geordie Bay at 9.55am, while the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development was alerted a minute earlier, at 9.54am. A male person was believed to have been bitten by a shark and was being conveyed by boat to shore, where St John Ambulance WA paramedics were set to meet him.

DPIRD said it was working with local authorities and urged the public on the island to take additional caution in the Geordie Bay area. Geordie Bay is a popular Rottnest Island holiday spot, which meant the warning applied to people already on the island as the response unfolded.

Rottnest Island warning

The key operational step for anyone nearby was to avoid the Geordie Bay area and follow the caution notice issued by DPIRD. The injury was described as critical, and the boat transfer to shore brought the victim into the next stage of care before paramedics took over.

The chronology of the response points to a fast-moving incident: DPIRD was alerted at 9.54am, police were advised at 9.55am, and emergency services were scrambled just before 10am. For visitors on rottnest island, that sequence meant the immediate instruction was to stay clear of Geordie Bay and give responders space to work.