The animal involved is thought to be a great white. Photo: Shutterstock
Western Australia has long been a hot bed for the controversy surrounding sharks. A few days ago, a teenager was killed in a tragic attack. The victim, 17-year-old Jay Muscat, was spearfishing with a friend off Cheynes Beach on the southern tip of WA when the shark attacked him.
The animal involved in the attack is suspected to be a great white. The friend, a teenager named Matt Puella, reported on Facebook that the shark hit him first, then attacked Muskat. But before it attacked him, Puella managed to get off a shot. “The shark turned and came for me,” he wrote. “I pushed the speargun down its throat and fired the gun!” He estimated that the shark was 13-16 feet long.
Cheynes Beach remains closed while authorities search for the injured animal. Drum lines will be set, and others will be doing patrols throughout the region. “One of the people involved in the attack actually shot at the shark with a spear gun, so the shark may be injured so we are going to have a look to see if we can find the shark if that is the case.”
WA’s Department of Fisheries said Cheynes Beach would remained closed while equipment was deployed from boats to try and catch the shark, adding that it was most likely to be a great white.
“One of them will be setting (drum) lines, the other will be doing patrols in the nearby regions,” said Rick Fletcher, Department of Fisheries spokesman to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
This is the second fatal shark attack in December. On the 15th, a swimmer was attacked and killed while swimming near Rudder Reef in the northeast of Australia.
