A 38-year-old man died on Saturday after a shark attack at Horseshoe Reef near Rottnest Island, off Australia’s western coast, in an incident that unfolded just before 10 a.m. The man was brought back to shore but never regained consciousness.
St. John WA Ambulance said in a statement that “a 38-year-old man was in the water at Horseshoe Reef when he was believed to have been bitten by a shark.” The agency said he was “conveyed by vessel to shore, where he was met by St. John WA paramedics,” but “sadly, the man was unable to be revived.”
Authorities said the shark was a great white. The attack took place near Rottnest Island, about 19 miles west of Perth, a popular tourist spot on Australia’s western coast. Perth’s Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development urged the public to take additional caution in the area after the death.
The case is the second fatal shark attack in Australia so far this year. In January, a 12-year-old died a week after being attacked by a shark in Sydney Harbor, underscoring how rare but devastating these encounters can be when they happen close to shore and in places people visit for a day in the water.
The latest death leaves authorities with a familiar task: warning swimmers and boaters to stay alert around Horseshoe Reef while the exact circumstances of the attack are still being reviewed. For people heading to Rottnest Island, the message is immediate and plain — extra caution is now the advice at the reef where a morning swim turned deadly.
