Jurien Bay shark attack: Woman suffers leg injuries after being bitten by shark off Sandland Island

A woman is fighting for life after being attacked by a tiger shark near Jurien Bay on Monday, with the captain of the sea lion tour group she was part of describing it as a “freak incident”.

The woman, an overseas tourist in her 40s, is understood to have serious leg injuries after she was attacked by a 2m tiger shark in waist-deep water off Sandland Island.

The West can now reveal the woman’s current condition is listed as critical and she’s undergoing emergency surgery after being flown to Royal Perth Hospital by the RAC Rescue helicopter.

Emergency services rushed to the beach, near Jurien Bay, after the woman was reported to have been bitten by a shark at about 11.30am on Monday.

Following the attack, the woman was lifted back to shore, with the assistance of volunteer firefighters, where she was met by paramedics near the Jurien Bay Jetty and rushed to the local hospital via ambulance.

Kane Krollig, captain of the Turquoise Safaris vessel, said he and the crew were watching over the tour group when he heard a “lady screaming”.

“I looked, I saw blood and gave the signal for the crew to round everyone up,” he said, adding he did not see the shark.

Mr Krollig said crew members helped the injured woman back onto the vessel and they assisted in putting a tourniquet on her leg, before he drove the boat back to the harbour.

“It would have been 15 mins max,” he said.

“We were 100 per cent there for the lady ... it was just a freak incident ... (but) a very frightening experience for everyone on board.

“The crew were the heroes, I just drove the boat.”

Mr Krollig said the woman appeared to be in shock, simultaneously laughing and crying while the crew tended to her injury and tried to help her.

There were 16 people on board in total, including crew, with the Japanese and Chinese passengers speaking little English.

On Monday morning, a Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development spokesman said an investigation into the incident was underway.

“DPIRD is working with local authorities and further information will be provided as it becomes available,” he said.

The Department has urged those in the area to adhere to any beach closures as local authorities coordinate responses.

Several beaches in the area have been closed.

Mr Krollig said even though this was the first incident of its kind that had happened to them, he knew it was a reality you had to face when you ventured out into the ocean every day.

He said shark sightings in the area had become a lot more common over the past six months, with his crew spotting a shark about once a week “cruising across the bay”.

Mr Krollig said they would take a couple of days off from the tour business, but did not expect this incident to stop people from booking to swim with sea lions. He said he was following the terms and conditions of the licence granted by the State Government on a trial basis last year, including the times in the day to be out and operating.

Interstate travellers Jake McNamara and Ty Foster were spearfishing 4km away from the shark attack.

The guys had launched a four metre vessel from Jurien Bay on Monday morning and headed towards Sandland Island.

“We put the boat in the water at Jurien Bay then we went to a few different spots. We ended up at a spot about 4km away (from the shark attack),” Mr Foster said.

The spearfishing duo said they were heading back into town the same time the Turquoise Safari’s tour boat was rushing back and the boat ramp was swarming with people.

“We just happened to come in at the same time at the same time as them and we knew something was up,” he said.

“We didn’t know anything until they were in and there were people around them ...When we got in there was just police and ambulance and everyone there. All the tour and that were around them.

“It was something. Pretty scary hey, that we were out there at the same time.”

Dandaragan shire president Tony O’Gorman on Monday afternoon said swimmers should always be aware of the dangers when getting in the ocean.

“I’ve been in Jurien 10 years and this is the first shark attack. We’ve closed beaches before but I haven’t seen something like this,” Mr O’Gorman said.

“There will always be sharks around. We go into the water knowing that and it’s just one of the risks — we go in knowing it’s their home and hunting ground.”

A local hospitality worker said the shark attack was alarming. “It’s concerning, everyone knows everyone on these boats,” they said.

Rangers have closed beaches between Sandy Cape to North Head and authorities are exercising “additional caution” in the Jurien Bay area.

According to the WA SharkSmart website, there have been two shark sightings in Jurien Bay over the past fortnight.

The first sighting was on February 11 when a member of the public reported a 3m shark of unknown species about 10m offshore of North Dog Beach. Then, on February 17, a 1.5m shark, species unknown, was spotted near the Jurien Bay boat ramp in the town’s marina.

People have posted on social media that a shark has been spotted “hanging around” the area “for weeks”, while one woman posted a video of a shark in the shallows with the comment “tried to chase if off last week”.

The reef off Sandland Island, which is in the Jurien Bay Marine Park has been described as “sharky”.

“Just make sure to take some friends as this spot is sharky,” the website Surfspots.com states.

Jurien Bay Marine Park is the only breeding area for Australian sea lions — some of the rarest in the world — on Australia’s west coast.

In April last year, the State Government approved three tour operators in Jurien Bay and one in Rockingham to conduct licensed swimming with sea lion trials.