Greg O’Neill’s family has spoken out after the 63-year-old was killed by a great white shark during a morning swim off a Perth beach.
The father-to-be was in the water with a friend near Sorrento Beach in Perth, Western Australia, on Friday when the attack occurred. His body has not been recovered.
“Our family is deeply shocked and devastated by the terrible tragedy that took the life of father, grandfather-to-be, brother, uncle, husband and friend, Greg James O’Neill,” his family said Australia in a statement.
“He was a generous, devoted family man that gave his children so much love, care and opportunity,” they said.
“Greg loved the ocean and was known as a passionate swimmer, sports lover, dedicated worker and an all round generous, witty guy.”
The attack prompted Western Australia’s fisheries minister, Jackie Jarvis, to issue a rare catch-and-kill order for the shark involved. Authorized officers have been ordered to destroy the animal if captured.
Jarvis said she approved the measure due to the “exceptional circumstances” of the attack and the “hazard posed by the shark.”
Catch-and-kill orders remain deeply controversial in Australia, where great white sharks are a protected species. This marks the first such order issued in Western Australia in roughly a decade.
Major protests erupted across the region in 2014 after officials ordered sharks killed following a sudden spike in attacks, and the policy has continued to divide communities since.
Authorities have closed all beaches in the area through at least Sunday while police boats and drones patrol the waters. The shark has been described as approximately 8 feet long.
O’Neill’s death was the second shark attack in Western Australia this week alone. On Monday, a 56-year-old surfer suffered a severe leg injury in a separate incident. It was also the third fatal attack in the state this year, part of a broader national trend that has seen five fatal shark attacks across Australia in 2026.
The frequency of incidents has intensified debate over how authorities balance public safety with marine conservation. Great whites have held protected status in Australian waters, making any lethal directive politically and environmentally sensitive.
O’Neill’s friend witnessed Friday’s attack from close range, though details of their interaction in the water have not been disclosed.
Beaches in the Perth area are expected to remain closed through Sunday as the search and monitoring operation continues.