- Girl, 17, suffered catastrophic injuries
- Was swimming at unpatrolled beach at the time
Shocked beachgoers have recalled hearing piercing screams from the water as teenage girl was killed by a shark near a popular beach.
Emergency services were called to Woorim Beach on Bribie Island north of Brisbane at about 4.45pm on Monday following reports of a ‘serious shark bite incident’.
The girl, 17, was attacked while swimming 100m offshore at the south-east end of the island.
She suffered ‘catastrophic’ injuries to her upper arm and body and couldn’t be revived at the scene.
It’s understood the teen was there with friends and swimming in unpatrolled section of the beach.
Police officers raced into the surf to help the teen after beachgoers heard ‘piercing’ screams.
The harrowing scenes unfolded in front of young children.
‘People originally thought she had just been caught in a rip,’ a local told the Courier Mail.
A girl has died after she was bitten by a shark on Bribie Island. Pictured are emergency responders and beachgoers at the scene
The horrific incident occurred 500m away from a patrolled beach
‘It was shocking.
‘I’ve lived here for a long time and I’ve never heard of something like that down here.’
Another beachgoer added: ‘We literally just got out of the water, it might have happened while we were in the water.’
The species of shark involved is unknown.
Footage from the scene showed more than a dozen emergency responders at the scene speaking with beachgoers.
A distraught young girl was seen hunched on the beach being consoled.
The teen’s shattered family and friends later arrived at the scene.
The tragedy comes after multiple shark sightings in the area in recent weeks, according to lifeguards.
Woorim is a popular destination with campers, 4WD enthusiasts and surfers as the closest surf beach north of Brisbane.
Drumlines and drone surveillance are used by authorities to monitor shark sightings at the beach.
Emergency services were called to Woorim Beach shortly before 5pm on Monday
‘Our hearts break for her family and friends during this unimaginable time,’ Moreton Bay councillor Mark Booth posted online.
‘May they find strength and comfort in the support of their loved ones and the community.’
Police will prepare a report for the coroner.
It’s understood to be the first fatal shark attack in the Greater Brisbane region since 2006, when Sarah Whiley, 21, was killed on North Stradbroke Island.
It comes weeks after youth pastor Luke Walford was killed in a shark attack at Humpy Island near Rockhampton off the central Queensland coast.
Nationally over the last decade, there have been an annual average of 20 shark attacks where people have been injured, according to the Australian Shark-Incident Database.
Woorim Beach (pictured) on Bribie Island is popular with surfers, campers and 4WD enthusiasts
