Man killed in shark attack near Rottnest Island, police say
A 38-year-old man died after being bitten near Horseshoe Reef, and authorities sent a helicopter and patrol vessel to monitor the area.
A 38-year-old man died after a shark attack near Rottnest Island, with rescuers unable to revive him after he was brought ashore at Geordie Bay jetty.
Western Australia Police said the man was bitten at about 9.55am AWST on Saturday, just before 10am, near Horseshoe Reef on the western side of Rottnest Island, off Perth. He was taken by boat to Geordie Bay, where paramedics and police performed CPR before he was pronounced dead. Police said a report will be prepared for the coroner.
The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development said it received a report that the shark involved was a 4-metre great white and urged people to take extra caution around Horseshoe Reef and Marjorie Bay. A patrol vessel was sent to monitor the area, while an RAC rescue helicopter was deployed to the scene. Emergency services were first alerted at about 9.55am.
Rottnest Island, about 19 kilometres off Fremantle, is one of Western Australia’s best-known holiday destinations and has a marine reserve of about 3,800 hectares. Horseshoe Reef is a popular diving and fishing area and is known for the Mira Flores shipwreck, making the location a busy draw for visitors as well as a site now under heightened watch.
The death is being counted as Australia’s second fatal shark attack of 2026, underscoring how rare but severe such incidents remain. The International Shark Attack File recorded 65 unprovoked shark bites worldwide in 2025, including 21 in Australia and five Australian fatalities. Australia also recorded the most fatal shark attacks globally last year, a reminder that the country’s long coastline and heavy recreational use create repeated points of contact between people and sharks, even if the overall risk remains low.
Western Australia’s shark response system gives the public a direct reporting line to Water Police, staffed 24/7, at 9442 8600. Reports can trigger beach closures or other safety responses, a system designed to move quickly when sightings or attacks raise immediate risk. For Rottnest Island, where tourism, diving and fishing all concentrate around exposed reef and wreck sites, that response now turns on one grim fact: the ocean can change in an instant.
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