A teenager has been killed in a suspected shark attack in Perth, the capital of Western Australia (WA).
Police were called after reports of a potential shark attack near the Fremantle traffic bridge in North Fremantle about 3.20pm on Saturday.
WA Police Acting Inspector Paul Robinson said a 16-year-old girl was pulled from the Swan River with critical injuries.
Emergency personnel provided medical assistance to the victim who died at the scene from her injuries.
Acting Insp Robinson said witness accounts indicated the girl’s death “appears to be a shark-related incident”.
“We’re being advised she was with friends on the river,” he told reporters on Saturday.
“They were on jet skis. There was possibly a pod of dolphins seen nearby and the young female jumped in the water to swim nearby the dolphins.
“The family weren’t there when this took place however, her friends were and as you can imagine this is an extremely traumatic incident for anyone to witness so obviously we’re offering counselling services to anyone who did witness it or is affected by the incident.”
Acting Insp Robinson described it as an “extremely traumatic event for everyone involved” and anyone who knew the young girl.
“This is a very traumatic incident and the family is absolutely devastated by the news,” he said.
Acting Insp Robinson said the Department of Fisheries had advised him it was unusual for a shark to be so far down the river.
“I’ve spoken to fisheries and water police and unfortunately we have no idea what type of shark it is,” he said.
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