Beaches on Western Australia’s North West Cape shut following shark attacks
Sign up now: Get insights on Asia's fast-moving developments
It has not been determined yet what species of sharks were behind the recent attacks.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Follow topic:
SYDNEY – A number of beaches on Western Australia’s North West Cape were temporarily closed after at least two shark attacks were reported over the weekend.
Western Australia’s Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development said beaches between Pilgramunna and Bloodwood Creek in the Cape Range National Park near Exmouth will be closed for now.
On Sunday afternoon, the department issued a warning for Yallingup in Busselton city after a shark attack was reported.
It said a man suffered minor injuries after being bitten by a metre-long, unknown species of shark late on Saturday morning. The swimmer was about 15m out from the beach.
Later that day, an 11-year-old boy was rushed to a hospital after he, too, was bitten by a shark.
The boy was snorkelling in waters off the Kurrajong Campground in Cape Range National Park in the Shire of Exmouth.
A spokesman at Perth Children’s Hospital said the boy was still being treated on Sunday morning but was stable, reported local media outlet Perth Now.
According to the report, the 11-year-old received treatment at the scene after sustaining deep cuts to parts of his body, but his injuries were said to be not life-threatening.
The attack came after Australia’s professional surfer Max Marsden survived a shark bite at Lucy’s Beach in Greenough, south of the City of Greater Geraldton.
While surfing with his friend early in the morning on April 23, Mr Marsden found a shark that he believed to be a 1.5m long bronze whaler. Pinning his right arm to the surfboard, he punched it a few times before managing to escape. XINHUA
