Key facts
- A male swimmer died on Friday after a shark attack at Sorrento Beach, Western Australia.
- The attack occurred about 50 meters off the beach, near the Sorrento Surf Club.
- Beaches along approximately 30 km of coastline were closed following the incident.
- The beaches were scheduled to remain closed until at least noon on Saturday.
- A surfer was bitten in a similar attack in Geraldton, Western Australia, on Monday.
- A 35-year-old man was killed spearfishing off the state's south coast in June.
- A 38-year-old man was killed in an attack off an island near Perth in May.
Several beaches along Western Australia's coast, including in Perth, remained closed on Saturday, a day after a fatal shark attack at a popular beach in the city. The victim, a male swimmer, died on Friday after being mauled at Sorrento Beach, around 20 km from Perth's central business district, prompting the closure of beaches along 30 km of coastline. The local council stated that beaches would remain closed until at least noon on Saturday. The incident is the latest in a series of shark attacks in Australia. On Monday, a surfer was bitten in an attack in Geraldton, about 400 km north of Perth, losing a foot and suffering serious leg injuries. In June, a 35-year-old man was killed while spearfishing off the state's south coast, and in May, a 38-year-old man was mauled to death off an island near Perth. Emergency services were alerted around 10:15 a.m. on Friday, with reports of a large shark in the area. A search involving a helicopter, Water Police, the RAC Rescue Helicopter, and DPIRD Fisheries vessels was conducted. Witnesses described seeing the man pulled below the surface before disappearing. A shark estimated to be about five meters long was sighted about 1.6 kilometers west of Hillarys Boat Harbour just after 1 p.m., and authorities were tracking its movements.