Shark Kills Girl Swimming in Ocean Off Australia Shore: 'Shocking'

A 17-year-old girl has died after a shark attack at Woorim Beach, Queensland, Australia.

Emergency services responded around 4:45 p.m. local time on Monday, but she succumbed to life-threatening upper body injuries, including a bite on her arm, a short time, reported the BBC.

The teen's identity and the shark's species have not been released to the public.

The shark attack took place nearly 100 meters from the shoreline, near a surfing spot, which has measures to protect swimmers from sharks.

The teen girl was swimming off the mainland of Bribie Island.

Witnesses expressed shock, noting that while sharks are common in the area, attacks near the shore are rare.

"It's known there are a lot of sharks around Bribie, but this close to shore, it's still a shock," Christopher Potter told ABC News.

Queensland authorities use hooked barrels attached to the ocean floor to manage shark risks, but fatal incidents still occur.

The girl's death marks Australia's second shark-related death in 2025.

Surfer Lance Appleby was killed by a shark in South Australia on January 2nd.

The Queensland government says shark bites "happen rarely" and most shark species do not pose a risk to humans.