Shark kills swimmer off beach in Western Australia

A shark fatally attacked a swimmer off Sorrento Beach, located near Perth in Western Australia, on Friday, according to police. This marks the fourth shark-related death in Australia this year. Police helicopters and boats conducted a search of the waters off the beach following the incident, which was reported to authorities in the morning.

Authorities subsequently closed nearby beaches until further notice. Witnesses reported seeing blood in the water, likening the scene to that of the movie Jaws, where a body is dragged around like a rag doll. An unidentified male witness claimed the shark was of an unknown species and was approximately 50 meters offshore. This incident is the second shark attack in Western Australia within a week, following another attack at Glenfield Beach, north of Perth, where a man had part of his leg bitten off.

There have been multiple shark attack fatalities across the country this year. In January, a 12-year-old boy lost his life after being bitten by a shark while swimming in Sydney Harbour. Three divers were fatally attacked between May and June, with two incidents occurring in Western Australia and one in Queensland. In June, a woman had to undergo the amputation of her left arm after being mauled by a shark at Sydney's Coogee Beach.

Since 1791, there have been around 1,300 shark incidents in Australian waters, with more than 260 resulting in death, as per a database tracking human encounters with sharks.