Swimmer killed in shark attack off popular Western Australia beach
The City of Joondalup, the governing body of the town of Sorrento, announced that all the city beaches are closed due to the attack.
FILE: Diver joins young shark pup on a swim in Australia
Video shows the little shark swimming just below the water's surface when the diver swam up behind it. The shark is a gummy shark, which is native to Australia.
JOONDALUP, Australia – A swimmer was killed by a shark while swimming off a popular beach in Western Australia on Friday.
At approximately 10:30 a.m. local time, emergency services were called to a reported shark-related incident in the water off Sorrento Beach.
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Reports indicated a male swimmer had been bitten by a shark while swimming along the coast.
The Western Australia Police Force says, "a helicopter, Water Police officers, the RAC Rescue Helicopter, and Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) Fisheries vessels conducted an extensive search of the area."
The swimmer died as a result of the attack.
The City of Joondalup, the governing body of the town of Sorrento, announced that all the city beaches are closed due to the attack.
According to the Government of Western Australia's Shark Smart website, the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) is working with local authorities to coordinate responses.
Shark Smart also indicates there were 2 reports of shark sightings around the time of the attack.
First, at 10:22 a.m. local time, there was a reported sighing of a 2.5 meter (8.2 feet) shark of an unknown species about 160 feet offshore.
Then a report came of a 5-meter (16.4 feet) white shark in the area around 12:49 p.m. local time.
This is an ongoing story. Stick with FOX Weather for all the latest.