Incident Report
Tiger Shark Incident During Swimming at Derwent Island, Queensland
mackay, derwent island, Queensland·Australia
A 27-year-old male sustained major lacerations to his arm and hand while swimming near Derwent Island in Mackay, Queensland in February 1984. A tiger shark was identified as responsible for the non-fatal attack.
Please take a moment to consider the human impact of this event on the victim and their loved ones. The data presented here documents real events that affected real people and families.
Incident Profile
Individual
Location
Description
In February 1984, a swimming incident occurred at Derwent Island near Mackay, Queensland, Australia, involving a 27-year-old male and a tiger shark. The victim was swimming in open ocean waters adjacent to the island when he sustained major lacerations to his arm and hand. Tiger sharks (Galeocerdo cuvier) are large predatory sharks found in tropical and subtropical waters and are capable of inflicting serious injuries. The victim survived the encounter and received medical treatment for the sustained injuries. This incident was recorded as a non-fatal shark attack in the incident database.