38-Year-Old Man Dies in Shark Attack Near Rottnest Island

A 38-year-old man died on Saturday after he was attacked by a 13-foot shark at Horseshoe Reef near Rottnest Island.

The attack happened just before 10 a.m. The island lies about 19 miles west of Perth on Australia’s western coast.

The man was brought back to shore but never regained consciousness.

"A 38-year-old man was in the water at Horseshoe Reef when he was believed to have been bitten by a shark," a spokesperson for St. John WA Ambulance said.

"The man was conveyed by vessel to shore, where he was met by St. John WA paramedics. Sadly, the man was unable to be revived."

The death is the second fatal shark attack in Australia this year. Perth’s Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development urged the public to take additional caution in the area and said the shark was believed to be a great white.

Footage from the scene showed police and rescue officers with a boat.

In January, a 12-year-old boy died a week after a shark attack in Sydney Harbor. Three other people were attacked in non-fatal incidents along the New South Wales coast within two days of that attack.