A monster 15ft-long shark has brutally mauled a fisherman to death off the coast of Western Australia.
Daniel Turpin, 35, was fatally injured near Michaelmas Island, located approximately eight miles offshore in King George Sound, yesterday morning.
His family expressed their grief in a statement, saying they remained "devastated by this tragic loss" and were "still coming to terms with what has happened".
They described Mr Turpin as an "adored husband, son, brother and uncle who had a lifelong love and deep respect for the ocean".
"Daniel brought enormous joy to the lives of those who knew and loved him, and he will be deeply missed," the family added.
The incident occurred at around 11am local time, when Mr Turpin was attacked roughly 260 miles south-east of Perth.
Emergency crews raced to Albany Marina, where a vessel carrying the injured man was due to arrive.
Despite efforts by St John Ambulance paramedics who met the boat at shore, the 35-year-old could not be saved.
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Western Australia Police confirmed he had sustained fatal injuries during the encounter.
A member of the public had reported a shark measuring an estimated 15ft in length to the Shark Smart monitoring service near Michaelmas Island that same morning.
The tragedy marks the third fatal shark attack on a spear fisherman in Western Australia within a matter of weeks.
Steven Mattaboni, a 38-year-old father of two, lost his life in similar circumstances off Rottnest Island on May 16, believed to have been attacked by a great white shark roughly half a mile from shore.
A fortnight prior to Mr Turpin's death, another spear fisherman was killed by a shark off the Queensland coast.
Scott Leary, the local MP for Albany who knows the Turpin family personally, said the incident would be devastating for the tight-knit community where "everybody knows each other".
He called for targeted action, telling the Australian Broadcasting Corporation: "My personal thought is selective culling, especially around populated areas."
However, Western Australia's fisheries minister disputed suggestions of increased shark activity, stating the region possessed "one of the best shark hazard mitigation strategies in the world".
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