A man has died following a shark attack near Hull Heads in Far North Queensland.<\/p>\n
Emergency services were called to the Hull River boat ramp, 160 kilometres south of Cairns, just after 12pm, after receiving reports of a shark attack.<\/p>\n
Queensland Police said the 39-year-old man was attacked while at Kennedy Shoal, a reef site, before being retrieved from the water.<\/p>\n
He was declared dead on the boat ramp at about 1pm.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Police believe the man had been spearfishing on a private vessel when he was attacked by a shark.<\/p>\n
At this stage, police do not have specific information about how far out at sea the boat was.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A report is being prepared for the coroner, but at this stage, police believe the man died from a critical head injury.<\/p>\n
The 39-year-old man was retrieved from the water by another person who was in the water with him at the time of the attack.<\/p>\n
Police said the man who pulled the victim from the water was “pretty close” to the incident and witnessed it unfold in full.<\/p>\n
All four passengers on the private vessel, including the deceased man, have been returned to shore.<\/p>\n
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The man was attacked at Kennedy Shoal on the Great Barrier Reef.\u00a0 (Supplied: Citizens of the Great Barrier Reef)<\/p>\n
Inspector Elaine Burns described the incident as “tragic” and said police were providing whatever support they could to the men on board and their families<\/p>\n
“I would assume they would be pretty traumatised, that’s quite a terrifying thing to see happen right in front of you” she said.<\/p>\n
\u200bShe said the species of shark involved in the attack was unknown at this stage, but said the Department of Environment and Science would be involved in the investigation.<\/p>\n