A spearfisher has been fatally mauled on the Great Barrier Reef in Australia’s second deadly shark attack in only over every week, police said.
The 39-year-old man was with three friends diving and fishing from a ship at Kennedy Shoal off the Queensland state coast, south of Cairns, on Sunday when he was attacked.
Police Inspector Elaine Burns said: ‘The person had been spearfishing when he was attacked and died from a critical head injury.’
The unnamed victim, who lived in Cairns, was brought by boat to the town of Hull Heads, where paramedics were waiting.
He had ‘sustained injuries not compatible with life’, an ambulance service statement said.
Kennedy Shoal is a shallow coral reef popular with recreational fishers. Divers are also drawn to the Lady Bowen, a Nineteenth-century shipwreck.
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Bull sharks had been seen in the world before the attack, in line with reports.
A shark fatally mauled spearfisher Steve Mattabonni on May 16 at a coral reef off Rottnest Island, near the south-west coast of Western Australia.
The 38-year-old Perth resident was taken by boat to the island, where paramedics were unable to resuscitate him.
It is assumed the attack was carried out by a 16ft white shark.
The newest death is Australia’s third shark fatality in 2026. Nico Antic, 12, died in hospital days after he was attacked by a suspected bull shark off a Sydney beach on January 18.
Nico suffered serious injuries to each of his legs and was dragged out of the water and onto some nearby rocks by other children, but sadly died.
His family said: ‘Nico was a completely happy, friendly, and sporty young boy with essentially the most kind and generous spirit. He was all the time vigorous and that’s how we’ll remember him.
‘We would really like to sincerely thank the primary responders and the teams at Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick, for all the pieces they did to look after Nico.’
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