A 39-year-old man spearfishing with friends was killed by a shark Sunday on the Great Barrier Reef, police said. The attack occurred at Kennedy Shoal off Queensland's coast, south of Cairns.
Police Inspector Elaine Burns described the victim's death as a "critical head injury." The man, a Cairns resident, was pulled from the water by companions who witnessed the attack-a scene Burns called "quite a terrifying thing to see."
He was brought by boat to Hull Heads, where paramedics determined his injuries were "not compatible with life." The shark species remains unknown, though bull sharks had been reported in the area.
This incident is Australia's third fatal shark attack of 2026, following the May 16 death of spearfisher Steve Mattabonni near Rottnest Island and the January 18 death of 12-year-old Nico Antic in Sydney Harbour.
Australia averages more than three fatal shark attacks annually. Scientists suggest rising ocean temperatures and crowded waters may be shifting shark migratory patterns, potentially contributing to more encounters.