Teenage boy killed in Australia during shark encounter

Ethel Beach, South Australia

A fatal shark attack occurred at a popular holiday and surfing destination in South Australia, claiming the life of a teenage boy, as confirmed by local authorities. The incident took place near Ethel Beach in Innes National Park on the Yorke Peninsula. The victim's body was retrieved from the water following the attack.

According to South Australia Police, they received the first alert about the incident on Thursday at 13:30 local time (02:30 GMT). The statement did not specify the age of the teenager, and officers are currently preparing a report for the coroner.

Ethel Beach, a 400-meter-long sandy surf beach known for its popularity among surfers and tourists, experienced its first reported fatal shark attack, according to a local resident interviewed by ABC News. Marty Goody, a long-time surfer in the area, estimated that the victim may have been approximately "30 to 40 meters off the shore." He noted an observed increase in shark presence, stating that while sharks have always been present in the area, their numbers appear to have risen.

This tragic incident adds to a series of recent shark attacks in South Australian waters. In May, a surfer lost his life off the Eyre Peninsula, and in February, a shark attacked a girl in a river in Perth, the capital of Western Australia.

Australia has consistently reported a higher number of shark attacks than most other countries, trailing only the United States in frequency. Scientists, however, caution that an uptick in shark sightings doesn't necessarily indicate a proportional increase in shark populations.

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