MELBOURNE, Australia — Authorities in Australia report a deadly shark encounter at the Great Barrier Reef on Sunday, marking the country’s second fatal attack in just over a week.
A 39-year-old man lost his life while spearfishing with three companions at Kennedy Shoal, located off the Queensland state coastline south of Cairns, according to Police Inspector Elaine Burns.
“The man had been spearfishing when he was attacked and died from a critical head injury,” Burns told reporters.
The Cairns resident was transported by boat around midday to Hull Heads, a tourist destination, where emergency medical personnel were standing by. According to an ambulance service statement, he had “sustained injuries not compatible with life.”
Kennedy Shoal serves as a shallow coral reef destination favored by recreational anglers. The location also draws diving enthusiasts to explore the Lady Bowen, a shipwreck from the 19th century.
Before the attack occurred, anglers had reported bull shark sightings in the vicinity.
Just over a week earlier, on May 16, another spearfisher, Steve Mattabonni, was fatally attacked at a coral reef near Rottnest Island off Western Australia state’s southwest coastline.
The 38-year-old Perth man was transported by boat to the vacation island, where medical responders could not save his life.
Officials suspect a five-meter (16-foot) white shark was responsible for that incident.
In recent decades, Australia has recorded an average of more than three deadly shark encounters annually. This latest fatality represents Australia’s third shark-related death for 2026.
Earlier this year, 12-year-old Nico Antic passed away in a hospital following an attack by a suspected bull shark near a Sydney beach on Jan. 18.
