Shark attack victim mauled to death praised as 'sweetest and smartest girl'

05 February 2023 , 10:55

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Shark attack victim mauled to death praised as 'sweetest and smartest girl'

A teenager that was tragically attacked and killed by a shark as she swam with her friends in a river has been praised as the "sweetest and smartest girl".

Friends and family of Stella Berry, 16, who was mauled to death Saturday afternoon in the Swan River in Perth, Australia, are devastated after the incident.

Stella was jetskiing with her friends near the Fremantle Traffic Bridge when they saw a group of dolphins, and she jumped in the water to swim alongside them, authorities said.

That's when the predator attacked her causing her fatal injuries while her shocked friends witnessed the scene before they rushed to get out of the water.

A man who saw the gruesome incident dived into the water and managed to pull the teen out, but she sadly succumbed to her wounds.

Teen girl mauled to death by shark in front of her friends in horrendous attack

A friend of Stella's said she was the 'sweetest girl' who 'never did wrong to anyone'

Stella was 'the best sister and daughter', her family said

One of her friends, Lara Connolly, said she was the "sweetest and smartest girl that I knew", ABC reported.

"She never did anything wrong to anybody," Lara said.

"She was so kind. She loved art. I'd ride my bike to see her sometimes and I'd see her running.

"She wanted to run a marathon."

Stella Berry, 16, was the 'sweetest girl', one of her friends said (7NEWS)

Paramedics flooded the scene and tried to save Stella once she was pulled out of the water, but, sadly, their attempts failed.

The species of the shark has not been confirmed, however, authorities believe it was a bull shark.

Another friend, Teagan McArthur, said Stella's death "doesn't feel real".

"We were all in contact with her less than 24 hours ago and now she's not here with us," Teagan said.

Paramedics rushed to the scene but sadly failed to save the heavily injured teen

Stella’s parents Sophie and Matt released a statement, saying they are devastated and deeply shocked.

"Stella was a vibrant and happy girl with plans of living in Europe after school. She was a caring person and was a dear friend to many, across a variety of schools in the area," the statement read.

Hero desperately tried to save girl, 16, killed by shark in front of friends

"She had an infectious laugh … Stella loved creating art and spending times with her friends, particularly at the river and beach.

"She was a beautiful and loving big sister and the best daughter we could have hoped for."

Stella Berry from Perth, Australia, was a beloved daughter and sister

The shark attack was only the third one in the Swan River in 50 years, and the only fatal one in over a century.

Premier Mark McGowan offered his condolences to Stella's loved ones.

"It must be awfully tragic for them, all our thoughts go to them at this point in time," he said.

"In terms of these events, they're very rare events, but when they happen, it's just awful."

Her family issued a statement saying they are devastated (10NewsFirst)

Mr McGowan said the state government would look at what could be done to prevent any similar incidents.

"We did a whole range of things in the ocean to improve safety for people, but the river is different," he said.

"Flying helicopter patrols, it doesn't work, because the river is opaque, it's brown — it's very difficult to find things that work."

Vassia Barba