Shark Kills Spearfisher at Great Barrier Reef

A 39-year-old man died Sunday after being attacked by a shark while spearfishing near Kennedy Shoal on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. The man was with three friends when the attack occurred roughly 45 kilometers off the Queensland coast south of Cairns. He was brought by boat to Hull Heads around noon, where paramedics met the vessel.

Police said the victim sustained a critical head injury and died shortly after reaching shore. An ambulance service statement noted the injuries were not compatible with life. Kennedy Shoal is a shallow coral reef popular with recreational fishers and divers visiting the nearby 19th-century shipwreck Lady Bowen. Fishers had previously reported bull sharks in the area.

The death marks Australia’s second fatal shark attack in just over a week. On May 16, a 38-year-old man was fatally bitten by a suspected white shark while spearfishing off Rottnest Island near Perth. That victim was on the surface about 80 meters from shore when attacked on the legs. Paramedics and police performed CPR after he was brought ashore, but he could not be revived.

Australia records an average of roughly 20 shark attacks each year, fewer than three of which are fatal. The latest death is the country’s third shark fatality in 2026. Earlier this year, a 12-year-old boy died in hospital days after a suspected bull shark attack off a Sydney beach on January 18.