Daniel Smith : Australian Teen killed in shark attack near Port Douglas

A TEENAGER has died after a shark attack in far north Queensland.

Emergency services were called about 11.30am (AEST) yesterday after reports a 17-year-old boy had been bitten on the upper thigh at Rudder Reef, off Port Douglas.

Queensland Ambulance Service executive manager of operations Greg Thiedecke said the boy went into cardiac arrest immediately after being bitten on his right upper leg, groin and upper arm.

“It would be speculating but (there are) a lot of large blood vessels in the groin area, so for him to go into cardiac arrest that quickly would be probably blood loss,” he told the Cairns Post.

Veteran diver Col McKenzie, who heads the Association of Marine Park Tourism Operators, told reporters Rudder Reef was not a common spot for dive tourism operators.

But he said it was popular with spear fishing enthusiasts, and there was a fatal shark attack at nearby Opal Reef almost a decade ago to the day.

It is not known what type of shark was responsible for the attack.

Experts say attacks by sharks, which are common in Australian waters, are increasing as water sports become more popular.

In October, a young surfer lost parts of both arms in an attack by two great white sharks off the south coast of Western Australia.

The most recent fatality was in September when a British ex-pat was killed in front of his wife while swimming at Byron Bay on the east coast.

Agencies/Canadajournal