A 39-year-old man died Sunday after a shark attacked him near Kennedy Shoal, a shallow reef around 45-50 kilometers off the coast of Queensland in northeast Australia [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]. Emergency services were called just before or around noon local time as the man was retrieved from the water by another person present at the scene [1, 2, 5, 6, 7].

Queensland Police Service Inspector Elaine Burns said, "We believe the man had been spearfishing when he was attacked and died from a critical head injury. He was retrieved from the water by another person who was in the water with him at the time of the attack" [5]. The man was brought ashore to a boat ramp in the Hull River Heads or Cassowary Coast area and declared dead shortly afterward [1, 2, 5, 6, 7].

Queensland Police will prepare a report for the coroner on the sudden and non-suspicious death [1, 2, 7]. It is currently unclear which species of shark was involved. Bull sharks and tiger sharks, both known to inhabit the area, are possible candidates [2, 7].

Shark expert Daryl McPhee of Bond University noted, "There have now been six fatal bites in Queensland since 2020. The last fatal attack offshore between Townsville and Cairns was in 1990. We do not know currently with certainty what species of shark was involved. Possible candidates are bull or tiger sharks. Spearfishing represents a different risk profile than other activities and requires different approaches for mitigation compared to surfing" [7].

Kennedy Shoal is a popular area for fishing and diving, but shark attacks there are considered rare [2, 7]. Around 20 shark attacks occur annually in Australia, although most are non-fatal [3, 4, 5, 6]. This is the second fatal shark attack in Australia in May 2026, following the death of a 38-year-old man near Perth on May 16 [3, 4, 5, 6, 7].

Earlier this year in January 2026, four shark attacks in two days along Australia’s east coast caused multiple beach closures related to murky water from heavy rains [1, 3, 4, 5, 6].

Fisherman Gererd Pike of Hooked Up Fishing described recent activity off the Queensland coast, saying, "We were chasing Spanish mackerel and had one eaten by a pack of six of them, four metres off the edge of the boat. We were not going to dip toes in the water" [7].

Queensland Police will continue their investigations as the coroner’s report is prepared, aiming to clarify circumstances around the attack and death [1, 2, 7].