World4 min(s) read
Australian authorities are currently on the hunt for a great white shark that tragically hauled a beach swimmer to death.
Greg O'Neill was a grandfather-to-be, and he was named by officials as the victim of Friday morning's (September 18) attack at Sorrento, in Perth's north.
A rare catch-and-kill order has been issued for the shark, as numerous horrified witnesses saw the sea predator ingest the 63-year-old.
It is the first time in a decade that the Fisheries Minister has issued such an order.
Witnesses compared it to “a scene from Jaws, where the body is flicked around like a ragdoll”.
It's been revealed that the shark attack took place around 10:30AM, with Greg swimming just 50 feet from the shore.
Tributes have poured in from loved ones, as reported by ABC, with his family describing him as a 'generous and devoted family man' who loved swimming.
His family said in a statement: “Our family is deeply shocked and devastated by the terrible tragedy that took the life of father, grandfather-to-be, brother, uncle, husband and friend, Greg James O’Neill.”
They went on: “He was a generous, devoted family man that gave his children so much love, care and opportunity.
“Greg loved the ocean and was known as a passionate swimmer, sports lover, dedicated worker and an all round generous, witty guy.
“The kind thoughts and support from everyone who has reached out are deeply appreciated,” they concluded of the grandfather-to-be.
Western Australia Police have shut Sorrento and nearby beaches, as the search continues.
The extraordinary catch-and-kill order was announced by Fisheries Minister Jackie Jarvis, though she chose not to go a step further and order a widespread cull.
She explained: “Given the shark had been positively identified, remained in the vicinity following a fatal attack, and was considered to pose an ongoing threat, I authorised Fisheries officers to destroy the shark if it could be captured,
“I don’t want to give people a false sense of security. I cannot mitigate all risks,” Jarvis said.
Efforts so far have been in vain, though a shark expert has since been recruited by police to investigate why the attack may have taken place, as per 9News.
Those who saw the attack recalled Greg being mauled in the water, with one woman recalling: "I am a nurse, so I mean I obviously see a lot of gruesome stuff, but to see somebody being mauled to death in the water in front of me is pretty hard to clock."
Ryan Rowe, a resident who went to the beach after the attack, told local newspaper The West Australian: "I couldn’t believe there was that much blood (that had) come out of a human body."
“My friend said, ‘Jac, I think there’s been a shark attack’ and I looked out to the ocean and I could see a pool of blood,” Jacqui Rapaic recalled, as she was walking on the beach with a friend.
While she remembered seeing two men swimming, only one made it back to shore with his life.
Another witness named Darrel Haythornthwaite told Nine Network television that Greg was with a friend, explaining: "I was just shocked. I mean, I feel for his mate,
"He's apologized and said 'I didn't save my mate’ … I said, 'You couldn't have done anything.'"
Police haven't revealed if the dad's remains have been found, but they are sure that the "swimmer died as a result of the attack," marking the fifth fatal shark attack of 2026.
.jpg_xKEaT0?tr=cr-0.328.2730.3058,f-webp,q-70,w-100)