Shark kills swimmer off Sorrento Beach in Perth's north

A man was killed by a shark while swimming off Sorrento Beach in Perth's northern suburbs on Friday morning, Western Australia Police said. Search boats and helicopters combed the ocean after the late-morning attack without finding any trace of the victim, according to a police statement reported by The Associated Press. Police said they were confident the swimmer died as a result of the attack.

St John WA received reports of the attack at 10:15am local time, the ABC reported. The shark bit the man as he swam along the coast, Western Australia Police said in a statement. Police would not say whether potential remains had been found.

The City of Joondalup, which takes in Sorrento, closed every beach within its boundaries as a precaution. Sorrento Beach was shut to swimmers, and authorities urged residents to stay away from the surrounding coast while the search went on. Ambulance crews stood down as the response shifted to a search on the water.

What witnesses saw from the shore

Two men had been swimming close to shore and only one of them made it back, witnesses told the ABC. Beachgoers described the swimmer as a man in his 60s. Police have not identified him and gave no further details beyond confirming that he died.

Jacqui Rapaic was walking along the beach with a friend when the attack happened. She told the ABC she looked out to the ocean and saw a pool of blood, and that the two of them held on to each other, feeling traumatised. It happened quickly, she said.

Russell James was on the beach when the shark alarm sounded. He told the ABC there were police and ambulances on the sand and a few people standing at the water's edge near the groyne, with what looked like a couple of surfboards or paddle boards lying on the beach nearby.

My friend said, 'Jac, I think there's been a shark attack' and I looked out to the ocean and I could see a pool of blood.

Ryan Rowe reached the beach soon afterward and was told by an onlooker that someone had been bitten by a shark. He told The West Australian that he could not believe how much blood had come out of a human body.

Search finds no trace of the swimmer

A police helicopter, Water Police officers, the RAC Rescue Helicopter and Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development Fisheries vessels carried out what the Western Australia Police Force called an extensive search of the area. Officers patrolled the beach in the hours that followed, and were seen standing along the shoreline next to a red surfboard, the ABC reported.

Darrel Haythornthwaite, who witnessed the attack, told Nine Network television that the victim had been swimming with a friend who was left traumatised by what happened.

I was just shocked. I mean, I feel for his mate. He's apologized and said 'I didn't save my mate.'

Ingrid Mitchell, who swims at the beach every day, told Nine that it was hard to take in watching someone be mauled in the water in front of people on the shore.

Premier and local MP respond

Western Australian Premier Roger Cook said in a social media post that he was deeply saddened to hear of the attack.

This is a heartbreaking tragedy and my thoughts are with the victim's family and loved ones, as well as the first responders who attended the scene.

Hillarys MP Caitlin Collins, whose electorate includes Sorrento Beach, said the attack was deeply distressing for the community. In a social media post, she said her thoughts were with the victim's loved ones and everyone who witnessed the attack or was affected by it, and acknowledged the emergency services, police and surf lifesavers who responded. She said she had spoken with the minister and that authorities were continuing to manage the situation.

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development is working with local authorities to coordinate the response, according to the Western Australian government's SharkSmart website. The site recorded two shark sightings around the time of the attack, Fox Weather reported: a 2.5 metre shark of an unknown species about 160 feet offshore at 10:22 a.m. local time, and a 5 metre white shark in the area at about 12:49 p.m. The species involved in the attack has not been identified.

Second shark attack in the state this week

A surfer was seriously injured in a shark attack on Monday at Glenfield Beach near Geraldton, about 400 kilometres (250 miles) north of Perth. Geraldton firefighter Mel Ismail, 56, lost his foot and remains in hospital in a serious but stable condition, the ABC reported.

Surf Lifesaving WA began its helicopter shark patrols over Perth's northern beaches on weekends a week before Friday's attack, ahead of the summer season. Daily patrols are not scheduled to begin until September 26.

Fifth fatal shark attack in Australia this year

Five people have been killed by sharks in Australian waters this year, according to The Associated Press. Australia has averaged between two and three fatal shark attacks a year since 2000, according to the Australian Shark Incident Database, a partnership of the Taronga Conservation Society Australia, Flinders University and the New South Wales state government. Friday's death puts this year above that average.

• January: a 12-year-old boy died days after a bull shark mauling in Sydney Harbour
• May and June: three spearfishing divers killed in three weeks, two in Western Australia and one in Queensland
• May: spearfisher Steven Mattaboni died after an attack off Rottnest Island
• Weeks later: spearfisher Daniel Turpin died after an attack near Albany
• September 18: a swimmer killed off Sorrento Beach in Perth

The death is the 24th fatal shark attack in Western Australia since 2000, the ABC reported, with 10 of those in the Perth metropolitan area and three this year. The International Shark Attack File, a global database maintained by the University of Florida, has recorded more than 1,280 shark incidents around Australia since 1791, including more than 250 fatal incidents. Shark incidents have become more common as the population has grown and as activities such as surfing and scuba diving have gained popularity, CBS News reported.

Shark barrier removed in 2020

Part of Sorrento Beach once had a shark barrier, which was removed in 2020. The enclosure, co-funded by the state government and the City of Joondalup, was approved in 2016. Barriers are used at Cottesloe, Coogee, Quinns Beach in Wanneroo and Bathers Beach in Fremantle, though some are seasonal and are not installed until October, the ABC reported.

Sorrento sits about 20 kilometres north of the Perth central business district, just south of the Hillarys marina, and is a popular swimming spot. Along with Sorrento, the City of Joondalup closed Hillarys, Whitfords and Mullaloo beaches after the attack, according to the state government's SharkSmart website.

Surf Life Saving WA said a shark of an unidentified species was involved and that the attack happened about 50 metres offshore. Members of the public reported seeing a 2.5 metre shark in the water around the time the swimmer was attacked.

Beaches to remain closed into Saturday

Almost 12 kilometres of coast, from Marmion to Iluka, is closed until at least noon on Saturday, the ABC reported. The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development said it was investigating the reported shark incident. Police have not released the man's name, and the state government's SharkSmart website carries current closures and shark alerts for Western Australian beaches.