British gran killed by 'huge' great white shark in Australia

Updated
Diver dead after Australia shark attack
Diver dead after Australia shark attack


A British woman has been killed after being attacked by a 'huge' great white shark off the coast of Perth, Australia.

Doreen Collyer, 60, originally from Chester, had moved to Australia to be closer to her son and grandchild, reports the Daily Mail.

She was with her diving partner about two kilometres off Mindarie when she was attacked on Sunday morning.

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Police say her diving partner pulled her from the water but she died from her injuries before they made it to the shore.

ABC reports that three men who were out on a fishing trip came to the pair's aid and said they saw a large shark.

Police Inspector Danny Mulligan said: "The boat that was in the water was 5.3 metres long, and they say that the shark was longer than their boat."

He said the woman's partner had felt "something go past him" while he was diving.

"When he surfaced he saw a commotion in the water and then another boat arrived to pull him out of the water, and then it was noticed that the lady had suffered some severe and fatal injuries," he said.

Inspector Mulligan added: "The other boat that was in the water got between the male diver and the shark, and he was able to get back into his own boat and he was able to pull the lady from the water."

Perth Now reports that the Department of Fisheries said it would set shark traps about 1km offshore from Mindarie Marina after determining "a serious threat to public safety exists".

In a statement, the Department said: "Given the nature of the injuries and the location of the incident, it is likely that a large white shark, greater than 3m in size is responsible."

The woman's death comes two days after a 29-year-old surfer died following a shark attack off Perth.

Ben Gerring's leg was severed above the knee in the attack at Falcon Bay Beach in Mandurah.

His brother Rick said he was engaged and that he and his partner were expecting their first child.

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