A shark attack at a well-known tourist location north of Brisbane, Australia, has claimed the life of a teenage girl.
Although Australia is renowned for its stunning beaches, shark attacks are not uncommon in the region.
The Queensland Ambulance Service announced via Twitter on Monday morning, February 3, that they were dealing with an incident at Woorim Beach.
“Paramedics have responded to Woorim Beach at 4.45pm following reports of a serious shark bite incident,” they posted.
Authorities later reported that the 17-year-old girl succumbed to life-threatening injuries shortly after 5pm local time.
Australian media indicate that the girl was injured in the upper body while swimming at the southeast end of Bribie Island.
The shark, whose species remains unidentified, attacked just 100 meters from the shore, as per local reports.
Jacquelin Robson, a reporter from 7NEWS, mentioned: “It’s not yet known what kind of shark was involved.
“The water appears to be murky and surf life savers tell us there have been multiple shark sightings over recent weeks.”
Surf Life Saving Queensland announced: “Woorim Beach will remain closed until further notice.”
The area is popular among tourists and locals for swimming, surfing, and fishing, with the eastern coast recognized as an open beach, noted by ABC News.
Local resident Christopher Potter arrived at the beach soon after the tragic event and shared his experience with the media.
“There are a lot of swimming groups that swim along here, morning and afternoon,” he explained.
“It’s known there are a lot of sharks around Bribie, but this close to shore, it’s still a shock.”
The police are currently preparing a report for the coroner about the tragic incident.
This is the second shark-related fatality in Australia’s waters in recent weeks, following the death of surfer Lance Appleby on January 2 near South Australia’s coast.
In the Greater Brisbane area, the last fatal shark attack occurred in 2006 when 21-year-old Sarah Whiley was attacked.
Despite this tragic news, the Queensland state government emphasizes that shark attacks are rare.
Their official website states: “Shark bites in Queensland happen rarely and most shark species do not pose a risk to people.”