Fatal shark attack shuts Perth beach as authorities search surrounding waters

International

WITNESSES described seeing a "pool of blood" in the water after a swimmer was attacked and killed by a shark off a Perth beach on Friday.

Emergency crews were called to Sorrento Beach at about 10.15am local time following what police described as a "shark-related incident".

Authorities launched an extensive search of the area, using helicopters and boats to scour the surrounding waters. Police did not say whether the swimmer's body had been recovered.

According to a BBC report, witnesses said they saw a man being attacked by a shark about 50 metres from shore before he was pulled beneath the water. One witness described the attack as particularly distressing, while another reported seeing blood in the water and said she believed two people had been swimming but only one returned to shore.

Members of the public also reported seeing a shark measuring about 2.5 metres in length around the time of the attack.

Sorrento Beach remains closed to the public, and authorities have urged people to avoid the area.

The fatal incident comes amid multiple deadly shark attacks reported in Australia over the past year, including the death of a 12-year-old boy following an attack in Sydney in January.(MyTVCebu)