A man in his 30s is in critical condition after a shark mauled him at Geordie Bay on Rottnest Island, prompting emergency crews to race to the scene just before 10am.
WA Police said it 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. Police said a male person was believed to have been bitten by a shark and was being conveyed by boat to shore, where he would be met by SJA WA paramedics.
The attack hit one of Rottnest's best-known swimming spots. Geordie Bay is a popular holiday area, and the department urged people on the island to take additional caution in the area as it worked with local authorities and more information was gathered.
The timing left little room for hesitation. Emergency services were scrambled just before 10am, and the injured man was still being moved by boat as responders prepared for his handover on shore. The department said it was working with local authorities and that further information would be released as it became available.
For visitors already on the island, the warning is immediate and specific: stay alert around Geordie Bay. For the man being taken to shore, the next stage of care now rests with paramedics and hospital treatment after a violent attack that unfolded in minutes.
