A TEEN has been mauled to death by a shark while swimming off a tourist hotspot beach in Australia.

The 17-year-old girl was in Bribie Island, north of Brisbane, when tragedy unfolded on Monday.

Emergency services rushed to Woorim Beach around 4.45pm local time after reports of the attack.

Queensland Ambulance confirmed they were responding to a “serious shark bite incident” and treated the girl for life-threatening upper body injuries.

“The female sustained life-threatening injuries and succumbed to those injuries just after 5pm,” police said.

A report will be prepared for the Coroner.

Woorim Ocean Beach, a popular surf spot, is the closest surf beach north of Brisbane.

The fatal attack follows the death of 28-year-old surfer Lance Appleby, who was killed by a shark off South Australia’s coast in January.

Appleby was playing around in the sea at the popular The Granites beach, near the coastal town of Streaky Bay on the fateful evening.

At around 7:10pm horrified witnesses say they noticed a figure approaching him in the water.

Police later confirmed they found a shredded surfboard belonging to the popular Australian surfer.

Jeff Schumucker, a family friend of the victim who saw the ordeal as it unfolded, gave a harrowing recount of the surfer’s final moments.

He told 7NEWS: “He caught a wave and flipped off the wave and proceeded to paddle back, and he was attacked.”

A frantic search for the man saw several witnesses jump onto jet skis to scare away any potential killers.

Others stayed on the beach and called the cops.

Appleby had come home to the Eyre Peninsula to spend Christmas with his family, locals added.

The beautiful stretch of coastline is said to be a shark hotspot especially around this time of year, according to the Adelaide Advertiser.

Shark researchers have constantly labelled the area as a playground for great whites due to the water conditions being perfect for the beasts.

The state of South Australia has registered more shark attacks in the past two years than usual.

Thesun.co.uk is your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video.