Man Dies Following Shark Attack at Sorrento Beach, Australia
A man has died following a shark attack at Sorrento Beach in Perth, Western Australia, on Friday 18 September.
Emergency services were called to the popular beach at approximately 10:15am local time after a male swimmer was reported to have been bitten by a shark while swimming along the coast.
WA Police confirmed that the swimmer died as a result of the attack. Police vessels and helicopters were involved in an extensive search of the area, while Western Australia’s Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) also responded to the incident.
Sorrento Beach is located approximately 20 kilometres north of Perth’s central business district. Following the incident, the City of Joondalup closed beaches under its jurisdiction from the Marmion area in the south to Iluka in the north. The closures are scheduled to remain in place until midday on Saturday, when the situation will be reassessed.
A 2.5-metre shark had been reported in the Sorrento Beach area earlier in the day. Later, a five-metre white shark was reported at nearby Boyinaboat Reef. However, there has been no confirmation that either sighting involved the shark responsible for the attack.
The incident is the second reported shark attack in Western Australia this week. On Monday, a surfer was seriously injured in a separate attack at Glenfield Beach, north of Geraldton. According to SBS/AAP, the surfer remains in a stable condition after sustaining serious leg injuries.
The Sorrento Beach incident is being investigated by DPIRD in conjunction with WA Police and local authorities. Members of the public have been advised to observe beach closures and follow current shark activity information from the authorities.
For divers, snorkellers and other water users in Western Australia, the authorities’ advice remains to take notice of local beach closures and shark warnings and to check current conditions before entering the water.
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