Incident Report
Reef Shark Incident During Swimming at Cocos (Keeling) Islands
cocos (keeling) islands, direction island, Western Australia·Australia
A male swimmer sustained lacerations to the lower leg during a swimming incident involving a reef shark at Direction Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands in October 2019. The swimmer was injured but survived the encounter.
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Incident Profile
Individual
Location
Description
In October 2019, a swimming incident occurred at Direction Island in the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, an Australian territory in the Indian Ocean. A male swimmer was injured when a reef shark inflicted lacerations to the lower leg. The victim received treatment for non-fatal injuries. The incident took place in open ocean waters adjacent to the island. Reef sharks, which inhabit the waters surrounding the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, are opportunistic predators that typically avoid humans but may investigate or bite in certain circumstances, particularly in areas where swimming occurs in open ocean environments.