A “generous, devoted” father has been identified as the victim of a fatal shark attack in Australia, prompting authorities to issue a rare order to catch and kill the suspected great white.
Greg O’Neill, 63, was attacked and killed while swimming with a friend off Sorrento Beach in Perth, Western Australia, on Friday. His body has not been recovered.
“Our family is deeply shocked and devastated by the terrible tragedy that took the life of father, grandfather-to-be, brother, uncle, husband and friend, Greg James O’Neill,” his family said in a statement to ABC Australia.
“He was a generous, devoted family man that gave his children so much love, care and opportunity,” they said. “Greg loved the ocean and was known as a passionate swimmer, sports lover, dedicated worker and an all round generous, witty guy.”
Western Australia Fisheries Minister Jackie Jarvis took the “extraordinary step” of authorizing a rare catch-and-kill operation, directing officers to “destroy the shark” if they capture it.
Such orders remain highly controversial in Australia, particularly because great white sharks are a protected species. The decision is believed to be Western Australia’s first catch-and-kill order in about a decade.
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Jarvis said she approved the measure because of the “exceptional circumstances” surrounding the attack and the “hazard posed by the shark.”
Authorities have closed every beach in the area until at least Sunday. The shark involved in the attack has been described as approximately 8 feet long, according to the BBC.
Police boats and drones patrolled the waters throughout Saturday as the search for the shark continued.
Catch-and-kill orders have long divided public opinion across Western Australia.
The region saw major protests in 2014 after authorities ordered sharks to be killed following a sudden surge in attacks.
O’Neill’s death was the second shark attack reported in Western Australia this week. On Monday, a 56-year-old surfer lost part of his leg in an attack. It was also the state’s third fatal shark attack of the year, the BBC reported. Across Australia, five people have died in shark attacks so far in 2026.