A 39-year-old man has died after being attacked by a shark near Kennedy Shoal off the Cassowary Coast in Far North Queensland on Sunday, May 24, 2026.
The victim was spearfishing with four others about 30 kilometers offshore from Hull Heads Beach, roughly 160 kilometers south of Cairns.
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Emergency services met the group at the Hull River boat ramp after midday.
Paramedics treated the man at the scene, but he died on the jetty shortly after arrival.
Local resident Jeffery Briggs witnessed the response.
"By the time we've got in here, and got to the boat ramp, police were all over it," he said.
Bull sharks had been spotted in the area earlier that day, though authorities have not confirmed if a bull shark caused the fatal injuries or if the group was spearfishing.
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Charter boat operator Gererd Pike reported seeing aggressive bull sharks near Kennedy Shoal before the incident.
"I was out close to there today, and the bull sharks, mate we had one Spanish mackerel get eaten by about six bullies off the side of the boat there today," he said.
This is the third fatal shark attack in Australia in 2026.
In January, a 12-year-old boy named Nico Antic died from a suspected bull shark attack near Shark Bay in Vaucluse, Sydney.
Last week, a great white shark killed 38-year-old spearfisher Steve Mattabonni off Rottnest Island in Western Australia.
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A report regarding the Queensland man's death is being prepared for the coroner.
