A 63-year-old husband and father was killed by a great white shark during a morning swim off a popular Australian beach, triggering a massive emergency response and an extraordinary order to hunt down and kill the shark.
Greg James O’Neill was swimming near Sorrento Beach in Perth, Western Australia, on Friday morning when he was attacked close to shore, according to Australian authorities and his family.
Emergency services were alerted at about 10:15 a.m. local time after reports that a male swimmer had been bitten by a shark.
Western Australia’s Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development initially described it as a “serious shark incident,” while police, rescue helicopters and boats rushed to the scene.
Witnesses said O’Neill had been swimming with another man when the attack unfolded.
Jacqui Rapaic told ABC News that she was walking along the beach with a friend when they realized something was terribly wrong.
“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 recalled.
Rapaic said she believed two men had been in the water, but only one returned to shore.
The surviving swimmer reportedly emerged deeply shaken while emergency crews searched the water.
Police later confirmed O’Neill had died as a result of the attack. Authorities searched the area by helicopter and boat, and Australian Associated Press reported that remains were later recovered from the water.
A shark measuring about 2.5 meters, or roughly 8 feet, had been reported near Sorrento Beach earlier that morning, according to ABC. A much larger shark was also reported nearby later in the day, though officials initially cautioned that it was unclear whether either sighting involved the animal responsible for the fatal attack.
Authorities have since determined that O’Neill was attacked by a large great white shark.
His grieving family described him as a devoted family man who loved the ocean.
“Our family is deeply shocked and devastated by the terrible tragedy that took the life of father, grandfather-to-be, brother, uncle, husband and friend, Greg James O’Neill,” the family said in a statement reported by ABC News.
They remembered him as a passionate swimmer and sports fan who was generous, witty and deeply committed to his children.
The attack prompted authorities to close a long stretch of coastline around Sorrento.
The City of Joondalup initially shut all beaches within its boundaries, while Western Australia’s SharkSmart service warned people to stay out of the water and follow instructions from emergency personnel.
As of Saturday, Sept. 19, beaches from Marmion to Iluka remained closed, with authorities planning another review at noon Sunday.
The response has now gone a step further.
Western Australia Fisheries Minister Jackie Jarvis issued a catch-and-kill order targeting the great white believed responsible for O’Neill’s death, describing the move as an extraordinary measure. She stopped short, however, of supporting a broader shark cull.
The tragedy comes during an especially deadly period for Western Australia.
O’Neill’s death was the third fatal shark attack in the state this year and the 24th fatal attack recorded there in the past 26 years, according to ABC News.
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