A teenage girl enjoying a swim has died in a shark attack in the waters off a popular tourist spot on Australia’s east coast, authorities said.
Emergency crews were called to the Woorim Beach at Bribie Island, about 80 kms (50 miles) north of Brisbane around 5 p.m. local time on Monday following reports of a serious shark bite incident, Queensland state police said on Monday.
Teen was With Her Friends at the Beach, Attacked While Swilling in an Unpatrolled Section
It is understood the 17-year-old was with friends at the beach when the incident occurred. “The female was swimming when she was bitten by a shark … the female sustained life-threatening injuries and succumbed to those injuries,” a police spokesperson said in an email.
The victim has been identified as Charlize Zmuda. The teen was swimming at an unpatrolled section of the popular surfing and fishing spot when she sustained fatal injuries to her upper body.
Christopher Potter, a resident, said the beach is frequently used by swimming groups through the day. “It’s known there are a lot of sharks around Bribie, but this close to shore, it’s still a shock,” he told Australian public broadcaster ABC News.
Potter said he heard a piercing scream coming from the water, initially leading to people thinking she had been “caught in a rip.” Surf Life Saving Queensland said Woorim Beach would remain closed until further notice. The destination is a popular spot for swimming, surfing and fishing amongst locals and tourists.
Third Shark Attack in Queensland in Less Than Three Months
As reported by ABC News, this is the third shark attack in Queensland in less than three months, and the second fatal attack in just over a month. In December, 40-year-old Luke Walford was killed while spearfishing in the Southern Great Barrier Reef near Humpy Island.
Earlier that month, a man was hospitalised after being attacked by a shark while spearfishing off Curtis Island, near Gladstone.
