Friends watched in horror as a man was mauled by a four-metre white shark at a popular tourist spot in Western Australia. The 38-year-old was spearfishing with a friend at Horseshoe Reef near Rottnest Island, Perth when tragedy struck on Saturday morning.
Police said the man suffered severe bites to both legs, marking the second fatal shark attack in the country this year. The man’s friends desperately pulled him to shore and desperately attempted to revive him. Emergency services rushed to the scene, and the man was taken to a jetty at Geordie Bay, where paramedics treated him for around half an hour, but he could not be saved.
Sergeant Wear said: “The friends of the victim retrieved his body from the water, they gave him CPR on the way back in and came straight into the Geordie Bay jetty.
“His friends have actually witnessed the horrific event. The victim was on the surface at the time, about 20 metres away from the vessel.
“Certainly quite horrific scenes for all involved and all emergency services that were there did a fantastic job.”
Surf Life Saving WA (SLSWA) says a four-metre shark was seen 80m offshore at Horseshoe Reef at around 10am local time on Saturday morning.
The Western Australian government said on its website that the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) was assisting police with a “serious shark bite” incident at Horseshoe Reef.
About 9.55am on Saturday 16 May 2026, emergency services were advised of a possible shark attack off the coast of Rottnest Island,” police said in a statement.
The spokesperson added: “A 38-year-old man was in the water at Horseshoe Reef when he was believed to have been bitten by a shark. The man was conveyed by vessel to shore, where he was met by SJA WA paramedics.
“Sadly, the man was unable to be revived.”
Shark patrols have been taking place and people are being told to avoid the area.
The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development has been notified of the incident. Rottnest Island is a popular tourist hotspot thanks to its 63 white-sand beaches, crystal turquoise waters and the famous quokka.