39-Year-Old Spearfisher Dies After Shark Attack on Great Barrier Reef

A 39 year old man died after being attacked by a shark while spearfishing on the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Queensland on Sunday, the second fatal shark attack in Australia in just over a week and the third this year.

The man was diving with three friends from a boat at Kennedy Shoal, a shallow coral reef popular with recreational fishers about 45 kilometres south of Cairns, when the attack occurred. He was retrieved from the water and brought by boat to the Hull River Heads boat ramp near the tourist town of Hull Heads, where paramedics were waiting. Police described the injuries as not compatible with life, and the man died shortly after arriving ashore. Authorities have not released the victim’s name. The death is not being treated as suspicious, and a report will be prepared for the state coroner.

The species of shark involved has not yet been confirmed, though fishers had reported bull sharks in the area before the attack. Kennedy Shoal is also the site of the 19th century shipwreck Lady Bowen, which attracts divers. The area between Cairns and Townsville is known for snorkelling and scuba diving.

This is Australia’s third shark fatality in 2026. On May 16, 38 year...