Fatal Incident
Fatal Tiger Shark Encounter During Swimming at Palm Island, Australia
palm island, challenger bay, Queensland·Australia
A 50-year-old male swimmer was fatally attacked by a tiger shark in Challenger Bay near Palm Island, Queensland in August 2011. The incident resulted in major lacerations to the torso.
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Incident Profile
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Description
In August 2011, a fatal shark incident occurred in Challenger Bay near Palm Island in Queensland, Australia. A 50-year-old male was swimming in the open ocean waters surrounding the island when he was attacked by a tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier). The attack resulted in major lacerations to the victim's torso, proving fatal. Tiger sharks are large apex predators found in tropical and subtropical waters and are capable of delivering severe injuries. This incident was recorded in the shark-incident database as a fatal encounter occurring during a recreational swimming activity in an island open-ocean environment.