A teenage girl has died after paramedics responded to reports of a “serious shark bite incident” at Woorim Beach, just north of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
Queensland Ambulance Service wrote on X that the incident happened around 16:45 local time (06:45 GMT) on Monday,
Police confirmed that the girl had suffered life-threatening injuries and died shortly after 17:00. Australian media reports that she was 17 years old.
The waters around the beach are home to many sharks, but the attack occurred close to shore in the popular surfing spot, which has measures to protect against sharks.
Police confirmed the girl had been swimming in the waters off Bribie Island – just off the mainland, on which Woorim Beach sits – when she was attacked by the shark, the species of which has not been identified.
The Queensland Ambulance Service confirmed the victim suffered life-threatening injuries to her upper body.
She was bitten on the arm around 100m from shore, Australian media reports.
Christopher Potter arrived at the beach shortly after the attack happened. He told ABC News: “There are a lot of swimming groups that swim along here, morning and afternoon.
“It’s known there are a lot of sharks around Bribie, but this close to shore, it’s still a shock.”
The waters near the beach are protected with drumlines – barrels anchored to the sea floor which have baited hooks to catch sharks that get too close.
Target species caught in these are then euthanised, while other species are relocated and released.
Police said they will prepare a report on Monday’s incident for the coroner.
It is the second shark fatality in Australia’s waters this year, after surfer Lance Appleby was killed off the coast of South Australia on 2 January.
The last fatal attack in the Greater Brisbane area came in 2006 when 21-year-old Sarah Whiley was killed while swimming with friends.
Shark attacks in Queensland “happen rarely and most shark species do not pose a risk to people”, according to the state government’s website.
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