Man killed by shark while fishing off eastern Australia

A man has died after being attacked by a shark while fishing with his family near the Keppel Islands off Queensland in eastern Australia, according to local officials.

The incident happened at around 4:30 p.m. on Saturday when the 40-year-old man was fishing with family members near Humpy Island, which is part of the Keppel Islands.

“The man sustained life-threatening injuries and succumbed to those injuries just before 6pm,” the Queensland Police Service said in a statement.

According to local media, the man was bitten in his neck. His identity was not immediately released.

Humpy Island, part of Keppel Bay Islands National Park, is a popular destination for camping, diving and snorkelling. It’s about 18 kilometers from the Australian mainland.

While sharks are often feared, they only kill about six people per year on average, according to the International Shark Attack File (ISAF). Last year, 14 people were killed in shark attacks, up from nine in 2022.