SYDNEY, Sept 18 (Reuters) – A man died on Friday after being mauled by a shark while swimming at a popular beach in the state of Western Australia, police said.
It is the latest in a spate of shark attacks in the country and comes just days after a surfer was bitten in an attack in the same state.
The Western Australia Police Force said emergency services were called to a reported shark-related incident in the water off Sorrento Beach at around 10.30 a.m. local time (0230 GMT).
“It was reported a male swimmer had been bitten by a shark while swimming along the coast,” WA Police said in a statement.
Authorities launched an extensive air and sea search, but the swimmer died as a result of the attack, the statement said.
Sorrento Beach is a popular swimming spot around 20 km (12.5 miles) from Perth’s central business district. The local council said it closed down all beaches in its jurisdiction after the attack.
A 5-metre-long (16.4-foot) white shark was reported to monitoring website SharkSmart at the nearby Boyinaboat reef just after noon on Friday. There was no confirmation that it was the shark involved in the attack.
On Monday, a surfer was attacked at a beach in the town of Geraldton, around 400 km north of Perth. The surfer lost his foot in the attack and suffered serious leg injuries, local media said.
It follows the death of a 35-year-old man killed while spearfishing off the state’s south coast in June, while a 38-year-old man was mauled to death off an island near Perth in May.
(Reporting by Christine Chen in Sydney; Editing by Ros Russell)
