Police open fire as killer shark mauls swimmer at Cable Beach

A man has been killed by a shark at popular Cable Beach in the resort and pearling town of Broome.

A man has been killed by a shark at popular Cable Beach in the resort and pearling town of Broome. Picture: iStock

A man was killed by a shark in shallow water at a popular but unpatrolled beach in the resort and pearling town of Broome on Sunday.

West Australian Police officers rushed to the beach and fired shots at the shark while also using a loudhailer to urge swimmers out of the water. The alarm was raised about 8.45am on Sunday.

The man died at Cable Beach, one of Australia’s best-known tourist spots. Surf lifesavers ordinarily patrol the beach but not between November and May because that is when deadly irukandji jellyfish are common.

“The man was recovered from the water and was treated by local police prior to arrival of St John Ambulance,” police said.

The victim is believed to have been about 60 years old. The shark that attacked him was three to four metres, according to reports.

The beach was closed and people were being urged to stay well clear of the water around Broome as local authorities searched for the shark on Sunday.

WA Deputy Police Commissioner Col Blanch said the man was in relatively shallow water when the attack happened. “(It was) a tragic event up there, a very unusual event up there,” he said.

Premier Mark McGowan said the attack was a “very sad and traumatic situation” and passed on his condolences to the victim‘s family.

“It’s a traumatic and unexpected event and so I’d just like to pass all of our thoughts on to the people who love the man who has passed away,” he said.

“For people who were present, it was a very, very serious set of events. I thank all of those people who attempted to rescue the man in the surf.

“A very sad day for Broome, a very sad day for his family and no doubt there’s a lot of grieving people at the moment.”

Sunset camel rides at Cable Beach have become synonymous with Broome, 1700km north of Perth. Crocodiles are occasionally sighted and removed from there.

Broome is renowned for its fishing spots and recreational fishers regularly encounter sharks — including potentially lethal tiger and bull sharks.

Cable Beach is closed once or twice each year when potentially dangerous saltwater crocodiles travel along the coast.

Broome, unlike some other parts of the WA coastline, does not have a significant history of shark attacks. A pearl diver was killed by a tiger shark in 1993 while diving at a pearl farm in Broome’s Roebuck Bay.

The identity of the most recent victim is yet to be confirmed.

Broome, population 14000, has been especially busy in recent months. Though WA’s border measures have made it impossible for people from interstate and overseas to holiday there, direct flights from Perth have brought big numbers of tourists from within WA. The shire reported that, for each of the 99 days that Cable Beach was patrolled by lifeguards this year, an average 1480 people visited the beach.