Fatal Australian shark attack victim named

The victim of a fatal shark attack on Western Australia’s iconic Cable Beach has been identified as a local hotel worker.

Charles Cernobori was attacked Sunday morning while bodyboarding about 100 feet from the shore of Broome Beach.

The 59-year-old local worked at the Mangrove Hotel in the area.

Emergency teams were called to the beach around 8.45am and CPR was performed, but Cernobori died at the scene.

A couple they saw “stirring” in the water went to help Cernobori, and a man pulled him out of the water while his wife called an ambulance, Washington Police Inspector Gene Pears said after the attack.

“I congratulate you on your actions. Obviously, that would have been pretty horrible for those people,” Inspector Pears said.

“It was very brave to go into the water and do what they did.”

Police legally fired on the animal, which remained in the area after the terror attack for up to 30 minutes, but the shark is believed to have escaped unharmed.

Fisheries officials resumed patrols starting at 5 a.m. Monday in an attempt to find the deadly shark, the department confirmed.

Beaches from Dampier Creek to Coconut Wells, including Cable Beach, remain closed.
The type of shark is unknown, but it is believed to be a tiger shark.

Broome is not believed to have had a fatal shark attack since 1993 when a pearl diver was killed off Roebuck Bay.

Cable Beach, which stretches for 22 km and is located 2000 km north of Perth, is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Western Australia.

The attack happened during the “off-season” and surf lifeguards ended their patrols on the beach last week.