A man has been killed in a shark attack while swimming off a popular beach near Perth in Western Australia, police said.
The attack occurred off Sorrento Beach, where emergency services were called in the morning after reports that a swimmer had been bitten by a shark.
“It was reported a male swimmer had been bitten by a shark while swimming along the coast,” a Western Australia state police spokeswoman said in a statement.
“The swimmer died as a result of the attack.”
Police helicopters and boats searched the waters off the beach following the incident, while authorities closed beaches in the area until further notice.
Local media reported that witnesses saw blood in the water. One unidentified male witness told Seven that the scene was like “a scene off Jaws where a body is flicked around like a rag doll”.
Surf Life Saving WA said an unidentified species of shark was involved in the attack about 50 metres offshore.
The incident was the second reported shark attack in Western Australia this week. A man was previously bitten at Glenfield Beach, north of Perth, resulting in part of his leg being lost.
It was also the fourth fatal shark attack recorded in Australia this year.
In January, a 12-year-old boy died after being bitten by a shark while swimming in Sydney Harbour.
Between May and June, three divers were killed in separate shark attacks, with two incidents occurring in Western Australia and one in Queensland.
In June, a woman also lost part of her left arm and required an amputation after being attacked by a shark at Coogee Beach in Sydney.
According to a database documenting shark encounters with humans, there have been around 1,300 shark incidents in Australia since 1791, with more than 260 resulting in deaths.
