A 16-year -old girl died after being mauled by a shark while bathing in a river in Perth , Western Australia .
The victim, who was swimming in the waters of the Swan River , was bitten by a specimen belonging to an unknown species. Rescue on the spot was immediate but useless: "All attempts at resuscitation have failed," said Paul Robinson, Fremantle district police inspector. “It seems that he was in the company of some friends . They were riding some jet skis and it is possible that the girl dived into the water to swim with a pod of dolphins , probably being chased by the shark that mauled her,” the inspector said at a press conference.
Experts say it is unusual for sharks to venture into that part of the river . The state government has urged beachgoers to exercise extreme caution and respect any beach closures. In 1960 a bull shark - which measured about 3.3 meters - killed a swimmer at Roseville Bridge in Sydney. In February last year , a 35-year-old British diving instructor, Simon Nellist, was eaten off Little Bay Beach in Sydney. According to Sports Australia, 4.5 million Australians swim regularly in the sea and rivers.
(Unioneonline/vf)
