Spearfisherman Dies from Critical Head Injury After Shark Attack Off Queensland Coast

A 39-year-old man has died after sustaining a critical head injury during a shark attack off the north-eastern Australian coast of Queensland. Emergency services responded to a report near a boat ramp on the Cassowary Coast, between Cairns and Townsville, just before noon local time on Sunday.

Queensland Police confirmed the man, believed to have been spearfishing near an offshore reef, was retrieved from the water but later succumbed to his injuries. Police Inspector Elaine Burns stated the man and three others had travelled by private vessel to Kennedy Shoal, a shallow reef approximately 45km off the Queensland coast. Another individual in the water at the time recovered the victim.

This incident follows another fatal shark attack in Australian coastal waters just last week, where a 38-year-old man died while spearfishing near Perth, Western Australia. He had been bitten on the lower legs.

Queensland Police have not released the latest victim's identity and will prepare a report for the coroner regarding the “sudden and non-suspicious” death.