Shark Attack Kills 39-Year-Old Man off Queensland as Australia Logs 2 Fatalities in 2 Weeks
Updated
Updated · BBC.com · May 24
Shark Attack Kills 39-Year-Old Man off Queensland as Australia Logs 2 Fatalities in 2 Weeks
13 articles · Updated · BBC.com · May 24
Queensland police said a 39-year-old man died Sunday after a shark attacked him while he was swimming at a shoal off the Cassowary Coast.
Emergency crews were called to a boat ramp between Cairns and Townsville just before noon local time, and the man was pulled from the water but died from his injuries.
Police did not identify the victim or detail his injuries, saying the death was sudden and non-suspicious and would be referred to the coroner.
The killing was Australia's second fatal shark attack in as many weeks, after a 38-year-old spearfisher died near Perth last Saturday.
Shark encounters are relatively common in Australian waters but often non-fatal; the national incident database recorded 4 attacks in January, 1 of them fatal.
Are climate change and rainfall creating a deadlier new normal for swimmers on Australia's popular coastlines?
As traditional shark nets fail, will Australia's coasts soon be protected by drones and advanced technology?