A 63-year-old Perth father has been identified as the victim of a fatal shark attack that took place in shallow water off Sorrento Beach in Western Australia on Friday, 18 September 2026. Greg James O’Neill was swimming with a friend approximately 15 metres from the shore when a large great white shark attacked him. His body has not been recovered.
In a statement released by his family, O’Neill was remembered as a generous and devoted family man — a father, soon-to-be grandfather, husband, brother, uncle and friend. They described him as someone who loved the ocean, was a pᴀssionate swimmer and sports enthusiast, a dedicated worker, and an all-round witty and caring person. “Our family is deeply shocked and devastated by the terrible tᩚraɢedy,” the statement said.
The attack occurred in the late morning and was witnessed by people on the beach, some of whom reported seeing a significant amount of blood in the water. Emergency services, including ambulances, police, water police and a Surf Life Saving helicopter, responded rapidly.
Western Australia’s Fisheries Minister Jackie Jarvis took what she described as an “extraordinary step” by issuing a rare catch-and-𝘬iᩚll order for the shark believed responsible. Great white sharks are a protected species in Australia, and such an order had not been authorised in the state for approximately a decade. Jarvis said the decision was made because of the exceptional circumstances of the attack and the ongoing hazard the animal posed. Authorities estimated the shark to be a large great white, with some reports placing its length at around five metres.
Beaches in the northern Perth area were closed over the weekend while police boats, drones and helicopters searched the waters. Capture gear was deployed off Sorrento Beach as part of the operation.
However, by Monday 21 September the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development announced that the catch-and-𝘬iᩚll operation had been concluded. Officials stated there was no further evidence of white shark activity in the area and that the chances of locating the specific animal involved had significantly diminished. Beaches began to reopen, and Surf Life Saving WA brought forward its planned aerial patrols to increase safety monitoring.
The incident was the third fatal shark attack in Western Australia in 2026 and the second in the same week. It has again highlighted the ongoing tension between public safety concerns and the protection of great white sharks, a species that remains fully protected under Australian law except in exceptional cases.
Anyone with further information is asked to contact local authorities. Tributes continue to be paid to Greg O’Neill by family, friends, colleagues and the local community.
Sources : New York Post, BBC.
