We have sad news out of Perth, Australia. 16-year-old Stella Berry was killed by a shark in the Swan River. She and her friends were out riding jet skis on the river and having a good time when Berry saw a pod of dolphins. She then jumped off her jet ski to swim with them and that is when the shark got her as her friends watched the tragic event take place.
The Australian fisheries minister Don Punch said it was too early to confirm what type of shark was responsible for the girl’s death. It is most likely a bull shark because they are notorious for making their way into brackish water and even some freshwater rivers. Incidents like this one are rare in the Swan River, said Punch and this is only the seventh known incident in this location. The last fatal case was in January of 1923 when a bull shark killed a 13-year-old boy. Fatal shark incidents are rare in Australia. There was one in 2022 and two in 2021.
A tribute from the Berry family shared with the Sydney Morning Herald described the high school student as their “beautiful daughter who was a vibrant and happy girl with plans of living in Europe after school.” We send our condolences and sympathies to the Berry family.
