"Already the Third Time" Sea Dyed Red... Helicopters Deployed to "Kill It"

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

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

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

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

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

This incident is the second shark attack in WA this week and the third shark-related death this year.

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

In response, WA Fisheries Minister Jackie Jarvis stated the previous day that marine police in WA had spotted the shark, "positively identified it as the shark involved in this incident," and ordered its capture and destruction.

Minister Jarvis explained that such an "unusual" 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 in WA in 10 years.

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

Accordingly, local authorities have installed floating fishing gear used to catch sharks in the sea.

In addition, major beaches in Perth have been temporarily closed, and police boats and helicopters have been deployed to search for the shark.

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