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In Brief
- The man was attacked while swimming with a second person, who pulled him on board a fishing vessel.
- Police are working with the Department of Environment and Science to determine what species of shark is responsible.
A tragic incident occurred when a man lost his life following a shark attack at a well-known diving location. The victim sustained fatal head injuries while spearfishing in an area that locals have noted is increasingly frequented by sharks.
Authorities were alerted to the situation at the Hull River Heads boat ramp, situated approximately 160 kilometers south of Cairns in northern Queensland, just before midday on Sunday.
The alert was in response to reports of a shark attack at Kennedy Shoal, a submerged reef located some distance offshore from Tully Heads.
Inspector Elaine Burns from Queensland Police stated that the 39-year-old man was attacked while diving with a companion. This person managed to retrieve him and assist in bringing him back on board their private boat.
The boat, which was reportedly around 7 meters long, returned to the boat ramp at approximately 1 p.m., where the man was sadly pronounced dead.
He was one of four passengers on the vessel, though it’s not clear whether he was known to them.
“This is a tragic incident for everyone involved, and we will continue to provide support to the family and those who were on board with him,” Burns told reporters on Sunday.
Asked about the condition of witnesses, Burns said they would likely be traumatised.
“That’s quite a terrifying thing to see happen right in front of you,” she said.
Police said investigators would work with the Department of Environment and Science as part of efforts to identify the shark species involved.
Sunday’s death comes just over a week after father of two Steven “Mattas” Mattaboni died in a shark attack in Western Australia.
Mattaboni was diving at Horseshoe Reef near Rottnest Island on 16 May when attacked.
Kennedy Shoal, where Sunday’s fatal attack occurred, is popular for recreational fishing and diving.
Commercial fishing operator Gererd Pike was working about six nautical miles away when the attack occurred.
He said sharks had become increasingly aggressive and numerous along much of the coastline due to restrictions on catching large sharks.
“We had at least six sharks tearing into a mackerel at one point,” Pike told the Australian Associated press.
“They’re constantly active on the reef and some days it’s beyond the point of fishing.”
Pike said local fishermen and residents were shocked by news of the fatal attack.
“I’ve had some gnarly calls on that reef in the past, definitely in the last 20 years,” he said.
“It’s becoming a real problem.”
In October, a 14-year-old boy was critically injured in a shark attack near Thursday Island, in far north Queensland.
He was bitten on the stomach while fishing with friends near Cook Esplanade, off the nation’s northernmost tip.
In February 2025, 17-year-old Charlize Zmuda died after being bitten by a shark while swimming off Woorim Beach at Bribie Island, in Queensland’s south.
It follows a spate of fatal shark attacks along NSW’s coast.
Schoolboy Nico Antic, 13, died a week after being bitten on his legs near a popular swimming spot at Vaucluse, in Sydney’s east, in January.
Swiss tourist Livia Mulheim, 25, was killed by a shark in November while swimming at a Kylies Beach on NSW’s mid-north coast.
Surfer Mercury Psillakis, 57, was fatally bitten by a shark at Sydney’s Long Reef beach in September.
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