Shark Attack Qld: 39-year-old dies at Kennedy Shoal

A 39-year-old man died after a shark attack qld at Kennedy Shoal on the Great Barrier Reef south of Cairns. Emergency services were called just before 12pm on Sunday after reports he had been attacked while out fishing at the reef.

Kennedy Shoal and Hull River Heads

Queensland police said emergency services were called to Hull River Heads boat ramp just before 12pm, following reports a man had been attacked by a shark while out at Kennedy Shoal. The man was retrieved from the water and died from his injuries after being taken back to the boat ramp near Tully in a critical condition.

Queensland police report

Police said they would prepare a report for the coroner following the sudden and non-suspicious death of a 39-year-old man in the Cassowary Coast area. Kennedy Shoal is a shallow reef about 50km off the Queensland coast between Cairns and Townsville, and it is used for recreational fishing and diving.

Britomart Reef and reef sharks

The type of shark involved was not yet known. Bull sharks and tiger sharks are known to be prevalent along the Great Barrier Reef, while great white sharks also inhabit the reef but are less common in warmer waters. In 2021, retired US navy diver Rick Bettua survived a bull shark attack on Britomart Reef, about 30km south of Kennedy Shoal.

Another man died last weekend after being attacked by a shark at Rottnest Island near Perth, adding to a run of fatal attacks reported around Australian waters. For people fishing or diving around Kennedy Shoal, the immediate step is the police and coroner process now underway after the man’s body was brought ashore at Hull River Heads.