A 39-year-old man has tragically died following a shark attack at Australia's Great Barrier Reef on Sunday, marking the second fatal incident of its kind in the country this month.
The man was bitten near Kennedy Shoal, a shallow reef located 45 kilometres off the coast of Queensland. He was brought to shore and met by an ambulance, but passed away shortly thereafter.
This incident follows the death of 38-year-old Steven Mattaboni, who was attacked by a 4-metre white shark on 16 May off Rottnest, an island near Perth in Western Australia, while spearfishing. Police and paramedics performed CPR on Mattaboni after he was brought ashore, but he could not be revived. Authorities have since issued a warning for the public to exercise 'additional caution' in the area's waters.
Australia typically records around 20 shark attacks annually, with fewer than three being fatal. However, over 1,300 incidents have been documented since 1791, resulting in more than 350 deaths. Since 2020, 24 fatal attacks have occurred.
