A man died on Saturday July 4 after being attacked by a shark while fishing with a harpoon off the east coast of Australia, police said. The 36-year-old victim was bitten on one leg in the waters near the popular tourist destination Fraser Island, an island about 400 kilometers north of Brisbane.
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A nurse and doctor treated the man on dry land before help arrived, but he died of his injuries, police said. It is the fourth fatal attack of a shark in Australia since the beginning of the year. " It's a very sad day for our community, " said Fraser Island mayor George Seymour on Facebook. " Our deepest condolences go to the family and friends of this young man, " he said. The police did not identify the species of shark involved. Australia remains one of the countries where shark attacks are the most frequent, but they are rarely fatal.
Fraser Island is " a key breeding ground for migratory fish " that attracts sharks, Courier Mail told Daryl McPhee, associate professor of environmental science at Bond University. “ It's not surprising that there was an unprovoked shark attack there; perhaps it’s more surprising that people go diving there, ”he said.
Last month, a 60-year-old surfer died after being attacked by a three-meter shark some 100 kilometers south of Brisbane.