Spearfisher killed in second Australia shark attack

A spearfisher has died after being attacked by a shark on the Great Barrier Reef, marking Australia’s second fatal shark attack in just over a week, police have said in recent days in Australian waters.

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The 39-year-old man was diving with three friends from a boat at Kennedy Shoal off the Queensland coast south of Cairns on Sunday when the incident occurred during a diving trip at sea, according to police.

Police Inspector Elaine Burns said the man was spearfishing when he was attacked and suffered a fatal head injury in Queensland waters.

Attack off Queensland reef

Kennedy Shoal is a shallow coral reef popular with recreational fishers and divers. It is also known for the nearby Lady Bowen shipwreck, a 19th-century wreck that attracts visitors, according to local authorities.

Police said fishers in the area had previously reported sightings of bull sharks before the attack.

Emergency response and victim details

The victim, a resident of Cairns, was brought by boat to the tourist town of Hull Heads around midday, shortly after the attack, where paramedics were waiting.

An ambulance service statement said he had “sustained injuries not compatible with life”, according to the ambulance service.

Inspector Burns said the man died from a critical head injury.

Recent fatal attacks and national toll

The incident follows another fatal shark attack on 16 May at a coral reef off Rottnest Island near the southwest coast of Western Australia in another incident.

In that case, spearfisher Steve Mattabonni, a 38-year-old Perth resident, was fatally injured. He was taken by boat to the holiday island, where paramedics were unable to resuscitate him, in that case.

A five-metre white shark was suspected by authorities.

Australia has recorded an average of more than three fatal shark attacks a year in recent decades over time. The latest death is Australia’s third shark fatality of 2026 so far.

Earlier this year, 12-year-old Nico Antic died in hospital days after being attacked by a suspected bull shark off a Sydney beach on 18 January this year.

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Adapted by ASEAN Now. Source 25 May 2026