Rare kill order issued after shark kills swimmer off Perth beach
–
Neutral summary
Authorities in Western Australia have issued a rare catch-and-kill order for a great white shark believed to have killed 63-year-old Greg O’Neill off Sorrento Beach, about 20 kilometers from Perth. The attack happened on the morning of Friday, September 18, while the man was swimming with a friend; witnesses said the shark “tossed him around like a fish” and blood was seen in the water. Emergency services launched an air and sea search, but the swimmer’s body has not been found. On Saturday, marine police spotted a shark in the area, and Fisheries Minister Jackie Jarvis said it was positively identified as the one involved in the attack. Jarvis said she had given fisheries officers authorization to “destroy” the shark if it is found. Beaches along the coast, including in Perth, will remain closed until at least noon on Sunday. The victim’s family described him as a “generous, devoted” father and a passionate swimmer who “loved the ocean.” This is the second shark attack in Western Australia this week and the third fatal one in the state this year; across Australia, outlets report either four or five fatal shark attacks in 2026.
How it was framed
Outlets: 37. Countries: 13. Facts in the shared core: 7.
Publication timeline
-
·
Sydney Morning Herald (outlet profile)
Sorrento Beach closed, swimmer missing after suspected shark attack. Calls to emergency services were made around 10.15am, at the same time as reports of a large shark at Sorrento Beach.
-
·
Sydney Morning Herald (outlet profile)
Man feared dead after suspected shark attack. A man is feared to have died after a suspected shark attack at a Perth beach.
-
·
Daily Mail (outlet profile)
Swimmer feared dead in horror shark attack at popular Australian beach as horrified witnesses watch it drag them underwater. Emergency services are responding to a suspected shark attack.
-
·
Sydney Morning Herald (outlet profile)
Man feared dead after shark attack, witnesses describe 'shocking' scene. A swimmer is feared dead after being attacked by a shark at a popular beach in Perth.
-
·
The Mirror (outlet profile)
Swimmer feared dead after 'shocking' shark attack at popular Australia beach. A northern suburb of Perth, Western Australia, is in shock after a man has reportedly died in a shark attack on Friday morning, with a nurse…
-
·
ABC News (outlet profile)
Fatal shark attack suspected near Australian city beach. Emergency services are responding to a suspected fatal shark attack off a beach in the Australian west coast city of Perth
-
·
The Guardian (outlet profile)
Swimmer dies after being bitten by shark off popular Perth beach. Authorities called to Sorrento Beach on Friday morning following reports of shark-related incident A man has died after being bitten by a shark off Sorre…
-
·
The Independent (outlet profile)
Swimmer killed in shark attack off popular Australian beach. There have been four other confirmed fatal shark attacks in Australia this year
-
·
The Independent (outlet profile)
Shark kills swimmer off Western Australian city beach. A man has been killed by a shark as he swam off a Western Australian city beach
-
·
RTÉ News (outlet profile)
Shark kills swimmer off beach in Western Australia. A shark killed a man as he swam off a popular beach near Perth in Western Australia, police said.
-
·
DW (Deutsche Welle) (outlet profile)
Australia: Man killed in shark attack near Perth. A swimmer was mauled by a shark, with witnesses reporting a massive pool of blood in the water. There have been four confirmed fatal shark attacks in Australia this year.
-
·
Belfast Telegraph (outlet profile)
Shark kills swimmer off Western Australian city beach
-
·
O Globo (outlet profile)
Homem morre após ataque de tubarão em praia na Austrália; país registra quarta morte em 2026. Um homem morreu nesta sexta-feira após ser atacado por um tubarão enquanto nadava em frente à praia de Sorrento, uma área pop…
-
·
ТАСС (outlet profile)
ABC: на западе Австралии при нападении акулы погиб мужчина. Это второе нападение акулы с начала недели
-
·
Malay Mail (outlet profile)
Witness says attack was ‘like a scene off Jaws’ as shark kills swimmer in Western Australia. SYDNEY, Sept 18 — A shark killed a man as he swam off a popular beach near Perth in Western Australia today, polic...
-
·
TheJournal.ie (outlet profile)
Swimmer dies after shark attack off popular Perth beach. It is the second shark attack in Western Australia this week.
-
·
New York Post (outlet profile)
Shark kills swimmer in attack off Australian beach as witnesses recall seeing ‘pool of blood’. A man was killed by a shark as he swam off a Western Australian city beach Friday, police said.
-
·
Asharq Al-Awsat (outlet profile)
Swimmer Killed in Shark Attack at Popular Australia Beach
-
·
Channel NewsAsia (outlet profile)
Shark kills swimmer off beach in Western Australia: Police
-
·
N1 Srbija (outlet profile)
Kupač u Australiji poginuo u napadu ajkule. Muškarac u Australiji je danas poginuo u napadu ajkule dok je plivao na plaži na zapadu zemlje, saopštila je policija.
-
·
Sud Ouest (outlet profile)
Un nageur décède après une attaque de requin près de Perth en Australie. Un homme a perdu la vie vendredi après avoir été mordu par un requin au large d’une plage très fréquentée de l’ouest de l’Australie
-
·
Kurir (outlet profile)
VELIKA KOLIČINA KRVI U VODI, A OD PLIVAČA NI TRAGA! Ajkula rastrgla muškarca u Australiji, policija "uverena da je preminuo usled napada" (VIDEO)
-
·
Nova.rs (outlet profile)
Ajkula usmrtila muškarca kod Australije. Muškarac u Australiji je danas poginuo u napadu ajkule dok je plivao blizu plaže na zapadu zemlje, saopštila je policija.
-
·
Die Welt (outlet profile)
„Sehe viel Grausames, aber das war schwer zu ertragen“ – Mann stirbt bei „verstörender“ Hai-Attacke. Bei einer Hai-Attacke vor Australiens Küste stirbt ein Mann. Zeugen schildern drastische Szenen. Mehrere Polizeihubsch…
-
·
Sydney Morning Herald (outlet profile)
Experts call for action after two shark attacks. Experts have called for greater action to protect swimmers against shark attacks after two in less than a week in Western Australia.
-
·
CBS News (outlet profile)
Swimmer killed in shark attack in front of horrified beachgoers. It is the latest in a spate of shark attacks in the country and comes just days after a surfer was bitten in an attack in the same state.
-
·
El Colombiano (outlet profile)
Hombre murió tras ser atacado por un tiburón en Australia; es el cuarto caso este año. Un hombre murió este viernes tras ser atacado por un tiburón mientras nadaba frente a una popular playa cercana a Perth, en el estad…
-
·
Lenta.ru (outlet profile)
Акула утащила мужчину под воду на глазах у отдыхающих на пляже в Австралии
-
·
Ouest-France (outlet profile)
Un homme meurt après avoir été attaqué par un requin en Australie. Un nageur est décédé après avoir été mordu par un requin, vendredi 18 septembre dans l’ouest de l’Australie. C’est le cinquième décès dû à une attaque d…
-
·
Telegraf (outlet profile)
Ajkula raskomadala plivača pred kupačima u Australiji: "Bacala ga je tamo-amo kao ribu". Jedan muškarac izgubio je život nakon što ga je raskomadala ajkula dok je plivao na popularnoj plaži u saveznoj državi Zapadna Aus…
Factual core
- A shark killed a swimmer off a beach in Western Australia.
- The attack occurred in the waters off a beach in Western Australia.
- The victim was a man who died from the shark attack.
- The authorities ordered the killing of the shark responsible for the attack.
- The shark attack death is the fourth fatal shark attack in Australia this year.
- Witnesses saw the shark tossing the victim around like a fish.
- Western Australia's Fisheries Minister Jackie Jarvis authorized fisheries officers to destroy the shark.