Shark kills 17-year-old surfer in southern Australia

PERTH // A 17-year-old surfer was killed by a shark on Monday off Australia’s south coast.

The girl was surfing with her father when she was attacked off Esperance in Western Australia state on Monday afternoon, police said.

She was treated on the beach near Wylie Bay and taken in critical condition to Esperance Hospital, where she died.

The girl, from Mandurah near Perth was on holiday and surfing with her father at the Kelp Beds surf break when the attack happened.

Her mother and sisters watched from the beach as the horror unfolded, the 7 News website reported. The girl’s leg was badly mauled and she lost a large amount of blood.

Police have not said what type of shark was responsible but are being helped in their investigation by the department of fisheries. The beach was closed and surfers warned to avoid the area.

There have been two sightings of a medium-sized great white shark near Esperance in the last week according to the Shark Smart website.

Last year, two people were killed by sharks in Western Australia, The Australian newspaper said. One was a diver and the other a surfer.

Australia has averaged fewer than two deadly shark attacks a year in recent decades, but there has been an increase in attacks on the east and west coasts in recent years.

*Associated Press