A 39-year-old man has died after being bitten by a shark at Kennedy Shoal, a submerged reef off the Far North Queensland coast, on Sunday.
Emergency services were called approximately 50 km off the coast between Cairns and Townsville. The man was brought ashore but died from his injuries.
Incident Details
Emergency services were alerted around midday on Sunday to the Hull River boat ramp, near Tully and approximately 160 km south of Cairns. According to Queensland Police, the 39-year-old man was retrieved from the water after being bitten by a shark at Kennedy Shoal. He was treated by paramedics after being brought ashore at the boat ramp but died from his injuries.
Location and Context
Kennedy Shoal is a known diving and recreational fishing area located on the Cassowary Coast, between Mission Beach and Cardwell. The area is near the Great Barrier Reef. Queensland Police have stated that the death is being treated as non-suspicious and a report will be prepared for the coroner. The species of shark involved has not been identified. Bull sharks and tiger sharks are known to be common in the region.
Related Incidents
This incident marks the third fatal shark attack in Australia in 2025. Previous fatalities this year include:
- A 12-year-old boy who died in January after a suspected bull shark attack near Shark Bay in Vaucluse, Sydney.
- A 38-year-old spearfisher who died the previous weekend after a great white shark attack off Rottnest Island in Western Australia.
In a separate historical incident in the same region, a retired US Navy diver survived a bull shark attack at Britomart Reef in 2021, approximately 30 km south of Kennedy Shoal.