Diver dies after shark attack in Western Australia

A 35-year-old man has died after being bitten by a shark while spearfishing with his family off Western Australia, police said, in the latest fatal shark attack reported in Australian waters this year.

The man, who has not been named, was attacked late Saturday morning off Michaelmas Island, near the south coast town of Albany. Western Australia Police said the attack happened at 11:25 a.m. local time, or 03:25 GMT, while he was spearfishing with relatives.

He was taken by boat to shore, where paramedics were waiting, but they were unable to revive him. Police said they would prepare a report for the coroner, according to a statement shared by local media.

A witness reported seeing a shark about 4.5 meters, or roughly 15 feet, long near Michaelmas Island, Al Jazeera reported, citing police. The species was not known. The BBC described the animal as a suspected 4.5-meter shark.

Western Australia’s Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development said it was assisting police and local authorities after the incident. The department urged people to take “additional caution” in the area and to keep up to date with shark sightings, Al Jazeera reported. Local media cited by the BBC said the department also asked residents to report any shark sightings.

Michaelmas Island sits off Western Australia’s south coast and does not receive many visitors, according to Al Jazeera.

The death comes less than a month after another fatal shark attack in Western Australia. Steven Mattaboni, 38, a father of two, died after being attacked by a 4-meter, or 13-foot, shark at Horseshoe Reef, northwest of Rottnest Island near Perth, the BBC reported. Al Jazeera reported that the Rottnest Island attack involved a great white shark.

Al Jazeera reported that the Michaelmas Island death is the fourth shark killing in Australia this year. It said another man died in a shark attack off the coast of Queensland in northeast Australia, and that a 12-year-old boy was killed by a shark in Sydney Harbour in January.

Shark attacks around Australia are more common than in many other parts of the world, although they are often not fatal, the BBC reported. Popular swimming and surfing areas typically have measures intended to reduce the risk of attacks.

Most shark attacks in Australia occur along the country’s east and southeast coasts, with an average of about 20 incidents recorded each year, according to the Institute of Health and Welfare, Al Jazeera reported.

Al Jazeera also reported that Australian scientists believe increasingly crowded waters and rising ocean temperatures are shifting sharks’ migratory patterns, which may be contributing to a rise in attacks.