Tragedy Strikes at Sorrento Beach: Swimmer Killed in Shark Attack

A tragic incident has occurred at Sorrento Beach, located north of Perth, where a male swimmer lost his life in a shark attack. The attack has prompted the closure of nearly 12 kilometers of beach from Marmion to Iluka until at least noon on Saturday.

According to eyewitness Jacqui Rapaic, she was walking along the beach with a friend when they witnessed the aftermath of the attack. "My friend said, 'Jac, I think there's been a shark attack' and I looked out to the ocean and I could see a pool of blood," she said. Ms. Rapaic believed two men had been swimming, but only one of them had made it back to shore. "I hugged onto my friend … [we] felt rather traumatised at that point," she said. "It happened so quickly."

Russell James, another witness, described the scene after the shark alarm sounded. "There were a bunch of police and ambulances and a few people standing down by the water's edge near the groyne … there appeared to be a couple of surfboards or paddle boards down by the beach," he said.

This incident marks the second reported shark attack in Western Australia this week. A Geraldton firefighter, Mel Ismail, remains in hospital in a stable condition after being bitten by a shark on Monday. The attack comes just a week after Surf Lifesaving WA began its helicopter shark patrols on weekends ahead of the summer season.

Sorrento Beach, a popular swimming spot located about 20 kilometers north of the CBD, had a shark barrier that was removed in 2020. The swimmer's death is the 24th fatal shark attack in Western Australia since 2000, with 10 of those occurring in the Perth metro area and three happening this year.

In response to the attack, the City of Joondalup has also closed Hillarys, Whitfords, and Mullaloo beaches, according to the WA government's SharkSmart website.