Man dies after shark attack on Australia's Great Barrier Reef

The man was rushed to shore after being bitten near Kennedy Shoal, a shallow reef ‌around 45 km (28 miles) off the coast of the ‌state of Queensland in northeast Australia, a Queensland Police Service spokesperson said. The man was met by an ambulance but died shortly ⁠afterwards, the ​spokesperson said, ⁠without identifying him.


Reuters | Updated: 24-05-2026 12:07 IST | Created: 24-05-2026 12:07 IST
Man dies after shark attack on Australia's Great Barrier Reef

A 39-year-old man ​has died after being ​attacked by a ‌shark at ​the Great Barrier Reef on Sunday, police said, the second fatal ‌shark attack in Australia this month. The man was rushed to shore after being bitten near Kennedy Shoal, a shallow reef ‌around 45 km (28 miles) off the coast of the ‌state of Queensland in northeast Australia, a Queensland Police Service spokesperson said.

The man was met by an ambulance but died shortly ⁠afterwards, the ​spokesperson said, ⁠without identifying him. The death follows that of a 38-year-old bitten off ⁠an island near Perth in Western Australia on May 16.

There ​are around 20 shark attacks in Australia every ⁠year but the vast majority are not fatal, according to data ⁠from conservation ​groups. Far more people drown on the country's beaches. Dozens of beaches along Australia's east coast, including in Sydney, ⁠were closed in January after four shark attacks in ⁠two days. Those ⁠attacks came as heavy rains created murky water that attracts sharks and reduces their ‌visibility.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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