Man dies in great white shark attack near Rottnest Island, authorities confirm
A 38-year-old man died Saturday morning after being attacked by a great white shark while spearfishing near Rottnest Island, a popular holiday destination off the coast of Perth, Western Australia, according to local police.
The victim was identified as Steven Mattaboni, a father of two from Perth's northern suburbs. He was spearfishing with three friends about one kilometre offshore at Horseshoe Reef when he was bitten, police said. The attack occurred just before 10 a.m. local time, according to Western Australia police.
Mattaboni's friends pulled him onto their boat and performed CPR as they rushed to shore. They were met at Geordie Bay Jetty by police and paramedics, who continued CPR but could not revive him, as reported by ABC Australia. The Guardian reported that a rescue helicopter had arrived to evacuate him, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Coverage comparison
Reports of the attack varied slightly across outlets in the description of the event and the victim. ABC Australia, in multiple reports, provided the most detailed account, including the victim's name, his role as secretary of the spearfishing club Bluewater Freedivers of Western Australia, and the response by friends and emergency services. Al Jazeera, BBC, Deutsche Welle, and Fox News focused on the attack as a fatal incident, citing police and the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD). The Guardian provided additional personal details about Mattaboni's family and his wife's statement.
All sources confirmed the attack occurred at Horseshoe Reef near Rottnest Island, just before 10 a.m. Saturday. The shark's length was reported as four metres (13 feet) by most outlets, though a five-metre white shark was also reported spotted 80 metres offshore around the time of the attack by Surf Life Saving WA, as noted by Deutsche Welle.
There were slight discrepancies in the description of the events immediately following the attack. ABC Australia reported that police said the man suffered "horrific" injuries, while Al Jazeera and BBC noted that he was brought to shore where CPR was performed by paramedics and police, but he could not be revived. Fox News reported that he never regained consciousness.
Key claims
- The victim was Steven Mattaboni, 38, a father of two, from Perth's northern suburbs, as reported by ABC Australia and The Guardian.
- He was spearfishing with three friends at Horseshoe Reef, about one kilometre offshore, according to ABC Australia.
- The shark was reported to be a four-metre (13-foot) great white shark, as stated by the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, according to Al Jazeera and BBC.
- The attack occurred just before 10 a.m. local time on Saturday, according to police cited by multiple outlets.
- His friends performed CPR on the boat and were met by emergency services at Geordie Bay, but he could not be revived, as reported by ABC Australia and Al Jazeera.
- A five-metre white shark was spotted 80 metres offshore around the time of the attack, according to Surf Life Saving WA, as reported by Deutsche Welle.
- The attack was the first fatal in Western Australia since March last year, according to Al Jazeera and BBC.
- In Australia, there have been nearly 1,300 recorded shark attacks since 1791, with more than 260 fatal, as reported by BBC and Deutsche Welle.
- The death is the second fatal attack in Australia this year, according to Fox News.