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June 6 (UPI) — A man died Saturday after he was bit by a shark while spearfishing off the western coast of Australia, marking the third such death in four weeks.
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The 35-year-old man, who was spearfishing near Michaelmas Island, which off the coast of Albany, southeast of Perth, was treated emergency medical professionals for about two hours before he died, The Guardian, The BBC and the Australian Broadcast Corporation reported.
The man had been bitten by a shark suspected to be nearly 15 feet long and was pulled out of the water onto a boat to be brought ashore.
Although shark attacks are more common in Australia compared to other shorelines, this attack marks the third in four weeks, prompting officials to report shark sightings and follow any warnings that are in the area.
People in the island community told reporters that they are used to seeing sharks in the area but that there often are more around during this part of the year.
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“We do see an increase in larger sharks this time of the year, particularly chasing the sardine and the salmon along the coast, which is quite normal,” said Gregory Sharp, a commercial fisherman there, noting that parts of the coast are also known for seals — which sharks like to hunt.
“It’s not the sort of thing that happens every day of the week,” Sharp said of the recent increase in attacks. “Everybody’s stunned at what’s actually happened.”
The attack is the third in the area in the last four weeks.
A 38-year-old man died after he was bit by a 13-foot shark while spearfishing on May 16, and then a 39-year-old man was attacked by a shark — also while he was spearfishing — a few days later on May 24.
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