A 63-year-old man has died following a shark attack while swimming off the coast of Sorrento beach in Perth’s north on Friday morning. Western Australia police confirmed the fatality, stating the man succumbed to his injuries after being bitten. Emergency services, including water and air personnel, conducted an extensive search of the area, though the swimmer’s body had not been located as of Saturday morning.
In response to the tragedy, the Alkimos Surf Life Saving Club announced that Sorrento beach would remain closed until noon on Saturday. Locals have been urged to stay out of the water until the beach is declared safe. The City of Wanneroo has also closed all other beaches along its coastline until the same time on Saturday as police continue their search along the shoreline.
Local state MP Liam Staltari expressed his condolences to the man’s family, friends, and loved ones, stating that the entire community is thinking of them during this difficult time. He noted that he was deeply saddened by the tragic death following the attack.
Witnesses at the scene described the traumatic nature of the incident. Darrel Haythornthwaite told 7News that the man’s swimming companion made it back to shore but was left inconsolable. Haythornthwaite recounted telling the friend that there was nothing anyone could have done to save the victim. Another witness, Jacqui Rapaic, told the ABC she was walking along the beach when she looked out and saw a pool of blood, realizing quickly that a shark attack had occurred. Ingrid Mitchell, who swims at the beach daily, told 9News she was surprised by the attack, as she did not expect sharks to strike outside of dawn and dusk.
This fatality follows a separate shark attack on Monday at the remote Glenfield beach, north of Geraldton on Western Australia’s mid-west coast. In that incident, a surfer sustained serious injuries and was taken to the Geraldton health campus, where he remains in a stable condition.
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“He felt bad because he didn’t go back to save his mate and I said, ‘Nah you couldn’t have done that’,” he told the outlet. “There’s nothing that anyone could have done.”
