Fatal Shark Attack Claims Life of Spearfisher in Western Australia

A 35-year-old spearfisher died on Saturday due to a shark attack while diving with family off Michaelmas Island, near Albany in Western Australia. Authorities stated that the man was attacked before noon and was subsequently transported by boat to Albany, where paramedics were unable to revive him. Officials suspect that a 4.5-meter (15-foot) white shark was involved in the incident.

This incident marks the third fatal shark attack in Australia over a four-week period, a notable increase given that the country has averaged around three shark-related fatalities annually in recent decades. The previous fatality occurred on May 24, when a 39-year-old man sustained fatal injuries from an attack while spearfishing at the Great Barrier Reef. Just a week earlier, another spearfisher was killed by a four-meter (13-foot) white shark near Rottnest Island northwest of Albany.