The search for a swimmer presumed killed in a shark attack at Perth’s Sorrento Beach has continued into a second day, with rough weather complicating the emergency response.
Emergency crews were dispatched to the beach, north of Perth’s city centre, at about 10.15am on Friday after receiving a series of urgent calls for assistance.
Police later confirmed that a man swimming with a friend roughly 15 metres from shore had died in the attack.
Water Police officers and the Police Air Wing joined a large-scale search on Friday, with the operation resuming on Saturday morning.
“The 63-year-old male swimmer has not been located. Police conducted a search of the shoreline this morning (Saturday),” a WA Police spokesperson said.
“A WA Police Force Water Police vessel will remain in the area today, weather permitting. Beaches in the area remain closed.”
The search was partially suspended by mid-morning as conditions deteriorated. The Bureau of Meteorology had issued a strong wind warning for Perth’s local waters and the nearby coast.
Dozens of people were on or near the beach during the attack, while witnesses reported seeing a “large pool of blood” spreading through the water.
Emergency crews were called to the beach, north of Perth’s city centre, at 10.15am on Friday after frantic calls for help
The 63-year-old swimmer was attacked about 15 metres from shore while in the water with a friend
Water Police and the Police Air Wing were among the agencies involved in the search, which began Friday and continued Saturday
“Basically the shark grabbed him again, pulled him back down, and then it went out a bit further,” local resident Ryan Rowe told The West Australian.
Mr Rowe said the animal resurfaced before disappearing beneath the water again. “They haven’t seen the body since,” he added.
He said the incident had deeply shaken residents who regularly used the beach. “I couldn’t believe there was that much blood coming out of a human body,” he said.
“We’re always sort of in and out of the water and stuff like that — it’s so close to home.”
Authorities have not released the swimmer’s identity or any other personal details. His friend is understood to have reached the shore safely.
All beaches across the City of Joondalup remained closed on Saturday morning, while WA government personnel conducted patrols from the shore.
The WA Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development is working with police and may help identify the shark species involved. That information will contribute to a report prepared for the coroner.
The state government and city council previously shared the cost of an eco shark barrier installed at the beach in 2016. The barrier measured about 670 metres long and 400 metres wide before being removed in 2020.
Strong winds and hazardous conditions forced some responders to pause the search as a weather warning covered Perth’s coastal waters
Richard Lailey, who lives 800m from Sorrento Beach, told The West there were some measures in place but he had had his own experience with a shark almost a year ago.
‘About a year ago to this day, I was one of a group of four kayakers down here that was circled by a great white shark for about 10 minutes,’ he said.
‘I also saw that the shark SMART drumline just over there was triggered about 10 days ago by a great white shark.
‘I think that the fact of the matter is, this happened a year ago, almost today, this is obviously the danger time. September and October, of course, is when the whales are travelling south, and that is the time to avoid swimming in the water.’
Mr Lailey addressed the absence of a shark net after the barrier was removed.
‘It was costly to maintain, and I believe that was the reason why it was taken away in the end, so maybe it’s time to put it back,’ he said.
‘We’ve got the prevailing southwesterlies here that come into this corner, and it takes a bit of a beating. In concept it was a great idea, but in practice it didn’t work out very well.’
The sentiment was echoed by fellow resident Mandy, who said the conditions had caused problems for the previous enclosure.
‘They took the shark net down a few years ago. I think because of the swell, they found that it wasn’t actually working, and a lot of the time it was breaking,’ she said.
‘Shark mitigation methods would be helpful. I mean, obviously, we’d want more tagged sharks as a warning to tell us when something is coming towards you, so that’s probably a better idea than anything else.’
Our News Outlet has contacted the City of Joondalup for comment.
The incident comes after a man was rushed to hospital on Monday following a shark attack on a remote WA beach.
Emergency services responded to Glenfield Beach, north of Geraldton in the state’s Mid West, shortly after 9.45am on Monday.
Surfer Mel Ismail, 56, was seriously injured and rushed to nearby Geraldton Health Campus under lights and sirens.
It is understood the off-duty firefighter lost his foot in the attack. He is now in a stable condition.
Surf Lifesaving WA’s helicopter shark patrols began for summer last week.
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