UPDATE: Following the tragic news that a 16-year-old girl had died following a shark attack in Australia, witnesses are now praising a "hero" who attempted to save her.
Per the Daily Mail, witnesses have hailed the actions of a man who bravely jumped into the Swan River in an attempt to save the teen in distress.
Police were informed that the man successfully pulled the teenager out of the water after she was mauled by what is now believed to be a bull shark.
Sadly, paramedics were unable to save her.
Locals say screams were heard before the "hero" jumped into the river. Witnesses add that the teenager's family and friends were in shock as they walked along the side of the river after the man pulled the girl out.
The Daily Mail adds that the teenager succumbed to what has been described as "severe leg injuries".
ORIGINAL: A teenager has tragically died after being attacked by a shark while swimming in an Australian river.
The 16-year-old - who has not yet officially been named - was pronounced dead on Saturday (February 4) after she was pulled from the Swan River, which is located in the Perth suburb of Fremantle, Western Australia.
As reported by BBC News, Fremantle District Acting Inspector Paul Robinson from the Western Australia Police has revealed that the teen had been riding jet skis with a group of friends prior to the "very, very traumatic" attack occurring.
"It's an extremely traumatic event for everyone involved and everyone who knew the young girl, so I won't be going into the extent of the injuries," Robinson said.
Robinson added that it is possible the girl had jumped into the water in an attempt to swim with a pod of dolphins that were nearby.
Western Australia Police were then alerted to the incident at around 3:30PM, leading to emergency services rushing to the scene.
The girl's family has been left "absolutely devastated by the news", as people in the area have been warned to take "additional caution" and respect the subsequent beach closures.
The Daily Mail has reported that the girl's death is the first fatal shark attack in the Swan River in more than a century - with the last reported death being that of a 13-year-old boy back in January 1923.
Robinson did address about the rarity of shark attacks during his statements to the press, saying: "It is unusual for a shark to be that far down the river [...] at this point in time an alert has been put out, a shark warning just to let people know this incident has taken place."
The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development confirmed on Saturday that it is investigating a "possible shark bite" incident, per the Daily Mail, with a spokesperson adding: "DPIRD is working with local authorities and further information will be provided as it becomes available."
In 2021, two fatal shark attacks were reported in Australia - this was down from seven in 2020.
Our thoughts go out to the teen's family, loved ones, and anybody else affected by this tragic incident.