Like a horror movie: swimmer killed in shark attack at popular beach

A man was killed after being attacked by a shark while swimming at the popular Sorrento Beach in Western Australia. Police were called to the scene in the morning, launched extensive air and sea searches, and confirmed the swimmer's death. All beaches in the area were closed, and a five-meter-long great white shark was spotted nearby. The incident adds to a wave of deadly attacks in the region, days after a surfer lost his foot in another attack.

A man was killed this morning (Friday, September 18, 2026) after being attacked by a shark while swimming at Sorrento Beach, a popular swimming spot about 20 kilometers from Perth's central business district in Western Australia. Local police were called to the scene around 10:30 AM and reported that a swimmer had been bitten by a shark. Extensive air and sea searches for the victim ended in tragedy, and authorities confirmed that the swimmer died as a result of the attack. The local council announced the closure of all beaches under its jurisdiction. Shortly after the incident, a five-meter-long great white shark was spotted at the nearby 'Boyinaboot' reef, but there is no official confirmation that it was the same shark involved in the attack. The current incident is the latest in a series of severe shark attacks in Western Australia. Last Monday (September 14), a surfer was attacked at a beach in the town of Geraldton, about 400 kilometers north of Perth, and lost his foot. In June, a 35-year-old man was killed while spearfishing off the state's southern coast, and in May, a 38-year-old man was killed in a shark attack off an island near Perth.