Authorities announce rare 'kill' order after man is killed by shark in 'scene from Jaws'

An incredibly rare 'kill the shark' order has been issued in Australia, after a great white shark attacked and killed a 63-year-old man.

Greg O'Neill had been swimming by Sorrento Beach, near Perth in Western Australia, when he was attacked in front of beach goers on Friday morning (September 18).

Eyewitnesses revealed the swimmer was accompanied by a friend at the time of the attack, who incredibly managed to escape.

The attack was said to have taken place roughly 15 meters from the shore, with the shark responsible believed to measure around six meters, though this has not been confirmed.

Greg O'Neill died after being attacked by a great white shark (ABC)

One witness recalled the victim being dragged into deeper water 'at a rate of knots'.

O'Neill's devastated family have described him as a 'generous, devoted family man,' as well as a passionate swimmer who 'loved the ocean'.

The swimmer's body has not yet been recovered from the ocean and authorities have now taken the unusual step of issuing a kill order, authorizing officers to capture and kill the shark.

According to Water Police, the shark has now been confirmed to be a great white shark and it is believed to still be in the area where the attack took place.

As per Surfer, Western Australia Fisheries Minister Jackie Jarvis said: "In making that decision, I considered the exceptional circumstances of the attack, the hazard posed by the shark, and the potential recovery of coronial evidence."

A 'kill the shark' order is now in place (ABC)

Jarvis admitted the order was 'very unusual' as it's believed to be the first of its kind in Western Australia for around a decade.

The subject of shark control is a controversial one in Western Australia. Back in 2014, the state tried implementing baited drum lines near popular beaches after a string of fatal attacks.

This led to 172 sharks being caught and 50 tiger sharks over three meters being killed, but no great whites were caught.

There was much opposition to this method with large protests against the baited drum lines, prompting authorities not to extend the program.

However, Jarvis has insisted the current kill order is not a return to the mass culling of sharks.

She added: "This is not the return to the idea that we would cull all apex predators in the ocean."

Still, not everyone is happy with the kill order with one local stating: "Leave the shark alone, you go in the ocean at your own risk."