Teenage boy killed in horrific shark attack while swimming at popular beach

28 December 2023 , 07:34

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Emergency services rushed to help the child on the beach (Image: 9 News)

A teenage boy has died in a horror shark attack at a popular beach in Australia.

The youngster's body was pulled from the water minutes after the attack near Ethel Beach in the Innes National Park today. Police remain at the scene and are preparing a report for the coroner.

It is thought the boy had been swimming at around 1.30pm local time at Ethel Beach but encountered the animal, understood to be common along Marion Bay at the Innes National Park.

A local fisherman said: "We've seen some pretty big bronzies in the area, but that's normal here... I went to take the boat out and the road to Ethel's was blocked by rangers. There's no cell reception out there in the park so we didn't know what had happened until we got back to Marion Bay."

The tragedy happened at Ethel Beach Innes National Park

The latest tragedy comes after a young woman was attacked while swimming with her partner off a reef shelf at Port Noarlunga, south of Adelaide last month. Bridgette O'Shannessy, 32, had to have two operations after losing some of her teeth and suffering nerve damage.

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Her attack came just weeks after 55-year-old surfer Tod Gendle was mauled to death by a huge 4.2-metre Great White shark near Granite Rock south of Streaky Bay, South Australia. Witnesses described the moment the shark launched at the surfer before he was dragged underwater by the animal.

And South Australian woman Pamela Cook was also mauled by a shark at Beachport on October 2. The 64-year-old woman was on her morning swim with local community group Beachport Sea Urchins and Slugs when she was attacked shortly before 8am. Just months earlier in May, 46-year-old Simon Baccanello was killed in a shark attack on Walkers Rocks Beach.

Bradley Jolly