Man feared dead after being ‘thrown around’ in shark attack off Australian beach

Man feared dead after being ‘thrown around’ in shark attack off Australian beach | Senior Live News reporter Published September 18, 2026 9:35am Updated September 18, 2026 9:46am To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video A swimmer was mauled to death by a shark in front of beachgoers in Western Australia. Perth beaches are in a lockdown after the alarm was raised this morning at about 10.30am local time. The emergency services were alerted to Sorrento Beach after reports of the attack, which happened around 164 ft from the shore. The male swimmer was seen getting into difficulty as he was thrashed around ‘like a ragdoll’ out in the water, one eyewitness said. Perth’s Sorrento Beach, where the tragedy unfolded on Friday morning (Picture: Andrew O’Connor/Australian Broad) He died as a result of the attack, police confirmed later. Sign up for all of the latest stories Start your day informed with Metro's News Updates newsletter or get Breaking News alerts the moment it happens. A horrified beachgoer told 7 News Perth: ‘It was like a scene from Jaws, where a body is flicked around like a ragdoll.’ One woman described how the animal grabbed the swimmer from near his friend and dragged him further out before mauling him ‘right in front of us.’ Another witness told 9News the swimmer’s friend on the shore saw the attack unfold, and kept saying ‘I couldn’t save my mate.’ Drones spotted a large great white shark gliding near the surface off Sorrento Beach, but it remains unconfirmed if the individual was behind the attack, nor has the species been officially confirmed. The council has shut all beaches within the Joondalup area until at least midday tomorrow, according to 9 News. Earlier this week, a surfer had a narrow escape after being bitten off Glenfield Beach, Geraldton, a surfing spot around 257 north from Perth. He was rescued by a fellow surfer, but suffered a leg injury as the shark bit off a chunk of his board. Despite being high-profile incidents, deadly shark attacks are relatively uncommon, even in Australia where the waters are home to around 180 different species. The mysterious animal made headlines in the UK last month after suspected sighting in the waters of Jersey off St Ouen’s Bay at the height of the summer holidays. Got a story? Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk. Or you can submit your videos and pictures here. For more stories like this, check our news page. Follow Metro.co.uk on Twitter and Facebook for the latest news updates. You can now also get Metro.co.uk articles sent straight to your device. Sign up for our daily push alerts here. Arrow MORE: Baby found wrapped in 1910 newspaper was ‘garrotted’ with length of twine Arrow MORE: Family of Putney Pusher suspect Nicholas Brandram insist it wasn’t him after he was found dead Arrow MORE: First picture of British Major killed in road traffic incident in Ukraine News Updates Stay on top of the headlines with daily email updates.