Three fatal shark attacks have recently occurred in Australia. These attacks happened on January 2, 2025 in South Australia, February 3, 2025 in Queensland, and December 28, 2024 in Queensland. This is becoming a big problem in Australia and is being brought to a lot of people’s attention. Even though nets have already been placed all over the ocean as a boundary, these shark attacks have still been occurring.
On December 28th, 2024, 40-year-old male Luke Walford was killed by a great white shark at 4:37 PM. This happened while Walford was out spearfishing with his family. He was bitten on his neck by the shark and sustained fatal injuries, causing his death an hour after the incident. Walford was a youth pastor at the Cathedral of Praise church in Rockhampton, Queensland. All of his friends and family were devastated by his death and shared that he was greatly loved.
On January 2, 2025, a 26-year-old male, Lance Appleby, was killed by a great white shark while he was surfing. Appleby’s friends and family searched for his body for two weeks after the incident, but soon police called off the search, concluding that he was a victim of a fatal shark attack. Since his body was never found, no one is sure what kind of injuries he had sustained. On the Saturday after his passing, a paddle-out was held for Appleby by his community at the last place he was seen as a memorial for their lost loved one.
On February 3, 2025, a 17-year-old female, Charlize Zmuda, was attacked by a shark while she was swimming at Woorim Beach. Zmuda sustained life-threatening injuries at 4:45 PM and passed away very soon after. Zmuda was just going for a swim at a very popular beach, but she didn’t make it home. Zmuda was a skilled lifeguard who taught kids survival skills for when they were in the water. Zmuda’s parents shared that she was also a growing musician who loved to sing and play different instruments. “A strong swimmer, a skilled lifesaver, and someone who knew the ocean well, yet nothing could have prepared her, her family, or any of us for what happened,” a swim club Zmuda attended regularly said. Zmuda was loved greatly by her family, friends, and community, and no one was ready for this news.
Many people live on the coast of Australia and are aware that many shark attacks occur there. Since the population has grown so much in Australia, the amount of people in the water has increased, and there is a higher chance of shark attacks occurring more frequently. Many beaches in Australia have put up large nets along the swimming and surfing zones to prevent sharks from swimming to shallow waters. Australian officials and experts are still trying to come up with more efficient ways to prevent these shark attacks from happening.
