Woman killed by shark 'bigger than boat' in Australia

Sydney // A woman was fatally mauled by a huge shark – described by witnesses as larger than their boat – near the western Australian city of Perth on Sunday.

The attack on the woman off the northern Perth suburb of Mindarie came just two days after a surfer died after his leg was bitten off by a shark along the same coastline.

Western Australia state police said the woman, reported to be a 60-year-old diver, had “significant injuries” consistent with a shark attack.

Three fishermen who tried to help the woman and her partner described the shark as being longer than their 5.3-metre boat, police inspector Danny Mulligan said.

He said the woman’s diving partner felt “something go past him” when he was in the water.

“When he surfaced he saw a commotion in the water and then another boat arrived to pull him out of the water, and then it was noticed that the lady had suffered some severe and fatal injuries,” Mr Mulligan told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

“Given the nature of the injuries and the location of the incident, it is likely that a large white shark greater than three metres in size is responsible,” the state’s fisheries department said.

The department said it had deployed “capture gear” to catch shark after the attack, which took place one kilometre from the shore.

Surf Life Saving WA tweeted earlier Sunday that a 4.5-metre shark had been sighted offshore from Mindarie.

Local beaches were closed after the incident.

The shark attack came two days after Ben Gerring, a surfer who lost a leg in a mauling off Falcon Beach about 115 kilometres south of Mindarie, died in hospital.

The 29-year-old was with a group of surfers last Tuesday when what is believed to have been a great white shark pounced on him, ripping off his right leg above the knee and snapping his surfboard in half.

A 4.2-metre shark was caught on Wednesday in the area where the attack occurred and was destroyed at sea, although authorities could not confirm whether it was responsible.

Deadly attacks are relatively rare, according to the International Shark Attack File, which in February reported a record 98 shark attacks worldwide last year.

However, only six were fatal, including one in Australia, it said.

Experts say attacks are increasing as water sports become more popular, but stress that fatalities are rare.

* Agence France-Presse