Australian authorities are searching for a great white shark believed responsible for a fatal attack on a beach swimmer near Perth on Friday.

Who the victim was

Greg O'Neill, 63, a grandfather-to-be, was named by officials as the victim of the attack, which occurred at Sorrento in Perth's north at around 10:30am, while he was swimming roughly 50 feet from shore.

Tributes from his family

O'Neill's family described him as a devoted father, grandfather-to-be, brother, uncle, husband, and friend, saying in a statement to ABC: "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. 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."

The response from authorities

Western Australia Police have closed Sorrento and nearby beaches while the search continues. Fisheries Minister Jackie Jarvis issued a rare catch-and-kill order for the specific shark involved, the first such order in a decade, though stopped short of authorising a wider 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." A shark expert has since been brought in to help investigate what may have prompted the attack.

What witnesses saw

Multiple witnesses described the scene as deeply distressing. One woman, a nurse, said: "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." Another resident, Ryan Rowe, told The West Australian: "I couldn't believe there was that much blood (that had) come out of a human body." A witness named Jacqui Rapaic recalled spotting a pool of blood in the water after being alerted by a friend. Another witness, Darrel Haythornthwaite, said O'Neill had been swimming with a friend who made it back to shore, adding: "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.'"

Broader context

Authorities have confirmed the swimmer died as a result of the attack, marking the fifth fatal shark attack recorded in Australia in 2026.