A 63-year-old man was killed in a suspected shark attack while swimming at a popular beach in Western Australia, authorities said, in what has become the fifth fatal shark encounter in the country this year.
Greg O'Neill was swimming at Sorrento Beach, in the northern suburbs of Perth, on Friday when the attack occurred in front of horrified beachgoers. Witnesses described a scene of panic and disbelief as the water filled with blood. «I couldn't believe there was that much blood that had come out of a human body,» Ryan Rowe, a resident who arrived at the beach shortly after the attack, told The West Australian newspaper.
Police have not confirmed whether O'Neill's remains have been recovered, but said they were confident the swimmer died as a result of the attack. Witness Darrel Haythornthwaite told Nine Network television that O'Neill had been swimming with a friend when the shark struck. «I was just shocked. I mean, I feel for his mate,» Haythornthwaite said. «He's apologized and said 'I didn't save my mate' … I said, 'You couldn't have done anything.'»
O'Neill's family released a statement through ABC News Australia describing their grief and the loss of a man they said was central to their lives. «Our family is deeply shocked and devastated by the terrible tragedy that took the life of father, grandfather-to-be, brother, uncle, husband and friend, Greg James O'Neill,» the statement read. «He was a generous, devoted family man that gave his children so much love, care and opportunity. Greg loved the ocean and was known as a passionate swimmer, sports lover, dedicated worker and an all round generous, witty guy.» The family added that they appreciated the support they had received.
The death prompted Australia's fisheries minister, Jackie Jarvis, to make the rare call for a catch-and-kill order for the great white shark, which is a protected species in Australian waters. «In making that decision, I considered the exceptional circumstances of the attack, the hazard posed by the shark, and the potential recovery of coronial evidence,» Jarvis said. The order allows authorities to hunt and kill the shark believed responsible, a step that is taken only when specific conditions are met.
The attack has renewed attention on shark safety along Australia's coastline, where encounters with great whites and other species are relatively rare but often fatal when they occur. Sorrento Beach is a well-known swimming spot in Perth's northern suburbs, and the attack has left local residents shaken.
The incident comes amid a string of fatal shark attacks in Australian waters this year. Three spearfishing divers were killed between May and June, and a 12-year-old boy died in Sydney Harbour in January. On Monday, a surfer suffered a serious leg injury in a shark attack about 250 miles north of Perth, underscoring the continued risk for those entering the water.
Authorities have not said whether the shark involved in Friday's attack has been located. The catch-and-kill order remains in effect as officials continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding O'Neill's death.