In waist-deep water

Serious shark attack off Australian island

A major scare in Australia: a woman has been attacked by a tiger shark off a small island on the west coast. What is particularly explosive is that the woman was only in waist-deep water.

When the 40-year-old woman was swimming off Sandland Island north of the coastal town of Jurien Bay, she was suddenly attacked by a predatory fish around two meters long, the AAP news agency reported on Monday, citing the authorities. It was initially unclear how seriously the woman was injured.

Rescue workers initially brought her back to the mainland by boat. From there, she was flown by helicopter to the city of Perth. Several beaches in the region were initially closed.

Sandland Island is only about 300 meters from the shore and is about two hectares in size. According to the news website "WAToday", sea lions live in the sea off the island. Many travel agencies offer excursions there.