As officials search for the shark, the beaches along the state’s coast will remain closed until at least Sunday. A tragedy struck Sorrento Beach in Perth, Western Australia, on Friday morning when 63-year-old swimmer Greg O’Neill was killed in a shark attack, BBC reported, adding that police launched an immediate search operation using boats and helicopters, but his body has still not been found.
After the tragic incident, the Western Australia Fisheries Minister signed a targeted “catch-and-kill” order.
Beachgoers witnessed the terrifying event. However, Jarvis explained that the government decided to act due to the severity of the attack, the ongoing threat to public safety, and the need to retrieve evidence for the coroner. O’Neill, a dedicated family man and expectant grandfather, was out for his regular swim alongside a close friend when a great white shark attacked him roughly 15 metres from the shore.
“Our family is deeply shocked and devastated by the terrible tragedy that took the life of father, grandfather-to-be, brother, uncle, husband and friend, Greg James O’Neill,” his family told ABC Australia in a statement. “He was a generous, devoted family man that gave his children so much love, care and opportunity,” they said. In an unusual move, Western Australia Fisheries Minister Jackie Jarvis signed a targeted “catch-and-kill” order after water police spotted and “positively identified as the shark involved in the incident”.
