Authorities respond to reported shark attack near Coral Bay in Western Australia
/ By Alistair Bates and Charlie MillsIn short:
A man is in a stable condition after he was bitten by a shark near Coral Bay in Western Australia's Gascoyne.
Fisheries officials say the incident was reported just after 11am on Monday.
What's next?
Residents and campers around the Fourteen Mile Beach area are urged to take additional precautions.
A man remains in a stable condition after a reported shark attack in Western Australia's remote Gascoyne.
Fisheries officials said the incident happened in waters near Coral Bay, 1,100 kilometres north of Perth, just after 11am on Monday.
A short time later, a member of the public spotted an unknown species of shark five metres offshore in the area.
The man was taken from the Fourteen Mile Beach Camp, where he had been spearfishing, to the nursing post at Coral Bay for treatment.
A WA Country Health Service spokesperson confirmed the man was still under medical care on Tuesday.
The incident came after the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development issued shark advice earlier on Monday when a whale carcass was spotted floating near Point Cloates, about 63 kilometres north of where the shark bite happened.
Marty Horak, manager of nearby Warroora Station, said the incident occurred amid the busiest stretch he had seen all year at the popular school holiday spot.
"July school holidays is our peak period," he said.
Mr Horak could only recall two or three shark attacks in the past decade.
In April, a man was bitten by a shark at the Bombie surfing spot near Exmouth, about 170 kilometres to the north.
Visitors in the region were urged to take additional precautions around the water as authorities investigated the attack.