SYDNEY — A 39-year-old man has died following a shark attack at Australia’s Great Barrier Reef on Sunday, marking the second fatal incident of its kind in the country this month.
Queensland Police said the man was bitten near Kennedy Shoal, a shallow reef 45km off Queensland.
Emergency services were called to a boat ramp on the Cassowary Coast, between the cities of Cairns and Townsville, just before noon local time on Sunday, following reports of a man being attacked while swimming out at a nearby shoal.
Queensland Police said in a statement that the man was retrieved from the water but died from his injuries.
It is the second fatal shark attack in Australian coastal waters in as many weeks, after a 38-year-old was killed while spearfishing near Perth, in Western Australia, last Saturday.
In that incident, the man had been bitten on the lower legs and could not be revived.
Queensland Police did not reveal details of the injuries sustained by the latest victim, nor did it disclose the man’s identity.
It said it will now prepare a report for the coroner on the “sudden and non-suspicious” death.
“As the matter is before the coroner, it would be inappropriate to comment further,” the force added.
Shark attacks around Australia are more common than in many other parts of the world, though they are often not fatal.
There were four encounters with sharks across Australia in January, according to the Australian Shark-Incident Database, only one of which was fatal.
Source: Saudi Gazette