Swimmer mauled to death by 13ft great white shark in brutal attack at tourist hotspot
Thomas Bamford
Featured Image Credit: Getty Stock Images
A 13ft great white shark has killed a man off the coast of one of Australia's most popular tourist destinations.
The victim, a 38-year-old man, was mauled at Horsehoe Reef, north-west of Rottnest Island near Perth, at around 10am local time on Saturday morning.
Surf Life WA reported that a large shark had been spotted approximately 87 yards offshore around the time of attack.
Aerial footage captured the frantic scene as the man was rushed to the shore by boat, with paramedics and police performing CPR on the Geordie Bay Jetty in a desperate attempt to save his life.
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It wasn't enough.
Western Australia Police released the following statement: "About 9.55am on Saturday 16 May 2026, emergency services were advised of a possible shark attack off the coast of Rottnest Island.
"A 38-year-old man was in the water at Horseshoe Reef when he was believed to have been bitten by a shark.
"The man was conveyed by vessel to shore, where he was met by SJA WA paramedics."
Western Australia's department of Primary Industries and Regional Development confirmed the man had been bitten by a great white shark, and urged the public to take "additional caution" in the waters around the area.
A report is now being prepared for the coroner.
It is the first fatal shark attack in Western Australia since March last year, when a surfer was mauled off a remote beach.
The attack has prompted beach closures across the Rottnest Island area, with authorities warning swimmers and divers to stay out of the water until further notice.
The incident is the latest in a series od deadly attacks that have put Australian waters on high alert.
Earlier this year, four shark attacks were reported along the New South Wales Coast in just two days, a cluster of incidents that sent shockwaves across the country.
Among the victims was 12-year-old Nico Antic, who jumped from a rock into Sydney Harbour and was attacked by a suspected bull shark. He died a week later, with his parents saying in a joint statement that they were "heartbroken."
Australia has one of the highest rates of shark attacks in the world. Since records began in 1791, here have been almost 1,300 recorded attacks in the country, with more than 260 of them resulting in death. Great white sharks are responsible for the majority of fatal incidents, and are known to patrol the waters off Western Australia's coast year round.
Rottnest Island, situated around 18 miles off the Perth Coast, is one of Western Australia's most beloved destinations, attracting over 800,000 visitors each year. Famous for it's quokkas, the small, grinning marsupials that have become a social media phenomenon, it's also hugely popular for snorkelling, diving and swimming.