Family honors shark attack victim, fundraiser near $400,000

Family and friends of Steven Mattaboni gathered on a beach near Perth to honor the 38-year-old father who was killed in a shark attack while spearfishing off Rottnest Island. The tribute came almost a week after the fatal incident, which occurred on a Saturday morning.

Mattaboni was bitten on the legs by a four-meter great white shark approximately one kilometer northwest of the island at Horseshoe Reef. He was pulled from the water by friends and rushed by boat to the Geordie Bay jetty, where paramedics were waiting. Despite their efforts, his injuries were too severe and he died at the scene.

His lifelong friend, Liam Thomas, spoke publicly for the first time during the gathering at Sorrento Beach, one of Mattaboni's favorite spots. Thomas described him as a man defined by two great loves: the ocean and his family. Mattaboni was a skilled fisherman, the secretary of the spearfishing club Bluewater Freedivers WA, and a passionate conservationist. He was also a devoted father to two young daughters, the eldest nearly three years old and the youngest just four months old.

Thomas emphasized that the group wanted Mattaboni to be remembered for his life, not his death. He was...