"Already the Third Time" Sea Turned Red... Helicopters Deployed with Orders to "Kill"

Following a series of fatal shark attacks in Western Australia, local authorities have issued an unprecedented order to capture and kill the shark in question.

According to Australian public broadcaster ABC and the British BBC, a 63-year-old man swimming at Sorrento Beach, a famous beach in the WA capital of Perth, was bitten and killed by a great white shark on the morning of the 18th.

A witness told the ABC that two men had been swimming, but only one returned to shore, adding that they saw "blood spreading thickly" in the water.

Another witness reported seeing the shark "thrashing the man around and attacking him as if handling a fish."

At the time of the incident, citizens also reported spotting a shark measuring about 2.5 meters in length.

This incident is the second shark attack in Western Australia this week and the third shark-related fatality this year.

It is the first time since 2020 that three people have died from shark attacks in Western Australia in a single year.

In response, Western Australia Fisheries Minister Jackie Jarvis stated the previous day that WA marine police had spotted the shark, "clearly identified it as the shark involved in this incident," and ordered it to be captured and killed.

Minister Jarvis explained that such an "unprecedented" measure was taken considering the exceptional circumstances of the attack and the danger posed by the shark, noting that she believes this is the first shark kill order issued in Western Australia in 10 years.

However, she drew the line by stating, "Great white sharks are an internationally protected species," adding that it would not be appropriate to cull all great white sharks other than the specific individual.

Accordingly, local authorities have installed floating fishing gear used for catching sharks in the sea.

They have also temporarily closed major beaches in Perth and deployed police boats and helicopters to search for the shark.

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.