Great White Shark Kills 38-Year-Old Near Rottnest Island

A 38-year-old man died after a great white shark attack near Rottnest Island in Western Australia on Saturday. He was bitten just before 10:00 at Horseshoe Reef, north-west of the island near Perth.

Aerial footage showed the man being rushed to shore by boat. Paramedics and police performed CPR at the Geordie Bay jetty, but police said, "Sadly the man was unable to be revived."

Horseshoe Reef, Rottnest Island

The state's Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development received a report that the man was bitten by the great white and urged the public to take "additional caution" in waters around the area. Rottnest Island is popular for its white sand beaches and surf breaks, and the fatal attack was the first in Western Australia since March last year.

Australia has recorded almost 1,300 shark attacks since records began in 1791, and more than 260 of them have ended in death. That history has included January's four shark attacks along the New South Wales coast over two days, among them the attack on 12-year-old Nico Antic, who jumped from a rock into Sydney Harbour and died a week later after a suspected bull shark attack.

Western Australia Waters

For people heading into the water near Rottnest Island, the immediate change is the warning from the state department: take extra caution and avoid treating Horseshoe Reef as routine water. The fatal attack turned a familiar recreation area into an active risk point for swimmers, surfers, and boaters in the surrounding waters.