Police are searching for a person believed to be missing in the water after a shark attack at Port Beach on Saturday morning. ABC reports authorities ge a man was attacked by a great white shark and a tiger shark while swimming besidbesideghy. Police are searching for a person considered missing in the water after a shark attack, sparking frantic scenes and causing the closure of numerous beaches.
West Australian lifesavers closed since closed all beaches in the area, including Port, Leighton, and Cottesloe beaches, near Fremantle, after the shark alarm was triggered at 10 am on Saturday. WA Police acting inspector Emma Barnes has praised witnesses for alerting beachgoers of the attack. However, she did not confirm the condition of the victim. “We’re coordinating a marine search in conjunction with Fisheries for a report of a male adult attacked by a shark,” she said. “The actions of the witnesses were heroic and very brave … for getting everyone else in the water out of the water and notifying everyone of what was happening.”
‘We saw a massive shark.’
A witness at the beach said he saw a “massive” shark shortly after the alarm was raised. “We scurried out onto the rocks as soon as we got out to get a look from a high vantage point, and as soon as we did, we saw a massive shark out in the water,” Kaiden Boult said to The West Australian.
“It was huge. The attack prompted a massive emergency response, with police and paramedics flooding the typically idyllic locations. Police rescue boats hit the water while officers on foot patrolled the closed beaches. At least three St John’s Ambulance crews were at the beach while police helicopters hovered overhead the shoreline.
Shark activity was reported near the beaches at 10.14 am by Dorsal Shark Reports. The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development confirmed they were investigating the attack. “DPIRD received reports of a serious shark bite incident at approximately 10:06 am on the 6 November 2021,” it said in a statement. “DPIRD is working with local authorities, and further information will be provided as it becomes available.”
This attack comes just months after a man was bitten in waters off the state’s north. The Perth man, aged in his 30s, was attacked near Varanus Island, off the coast of Onslow in Western Australia’s north in July. A St John Ambulance spokeswoman said at the time, the man was attacked in the evening, and he suffered significant but not life-threatening injuries. She said he had “a few bites” to his body, and first aid was provided onboard the vessel. That included giving pain relief, as well as cleaning and bandaging his wounds. “I think they did a pretty good job — they controlled the bleeding,” she said.
