Police officer describes horrifying scenes as man torn to death by great white shark

A police officer has shared new details about a horrific shark attack which claimed the life of a father-of-two in Australia.

On Saturday (16 May), it was reported that a man had been attacked by a great white shark while spearfishing at Australian beauty spot Horseshoe Reef, off the coast of Perth's Rottnest Island.

Emergency services rushed to save the man's life; however, he was ultimately pronounced dead at the scene.

The man was later identified as Steven Mattaboni, a 38-year-old father of two who lived in Perth's northern suburbs.

One of the first responders who was called out was Sergeant Michael Wear, the officer-in-charge of the Rottnest Island police station, who later recalled the incident in an interview with local news outlet 6PR.

The victim has been named as 30-yar-old father Steve Mattaboni (Facebook/Steven Mattas)

Describing the incident as 'horrific', Sgt Wear said it was obvious the father had suffered extensive injuries once he was brought back to shore.

"When we first arrived on the scene, you could tell it was pretty serious injuries," he said.

The officer declined to share specific details about the injuries which Mattaboni sustained out of respect to his family, saying: "It's quite horrific, what actually happened."

The police officer went on to confirm that Mattaboni had either been 'swimming or spearfishing' around a one-kilometre north of Rottnest Island when he was attacked by the 13ft marine predator.

"He was on the surface of the water coming back to a boat, and that's when he was attacked," Wear explained.

He went on to reveal that Mattaboni was pulled out of the water by his friends, who attempted to administer first aid while sailing back to shore, where first responders were waiting on the jetty.

"The critical care paramedics are just amazing people," he continued. "Everyone just jumped in and did what had to be done in a very chaotic, very small area.

"Unfortunately, the outcome is not what we wanted."

A GoFundMe has since been set up to support Mattaboni's wife and two young daughters.

Wear also clarified reports on the location in which Mattaboni was attacked, explaining that he was a kilometre out from the island and around 20 kilometres from the mainland.

Mattaboni was attacked by a 13ft great white shark while spearfishing (Getty Stock Images)

"There was a bit of confusion there where people thought that the shark attack happened in Geordie Bay," he said. "But that's not the case... out at sea."

How common are shark attacks in Australia?

Mattaboni's death marks Australia's second fatal shark attack in 2026, following a shark attack in Sydney which killed a 12-year-old boy (per National Post).

Your risk of being attacked by a shark in Australia often depends on factors such as location, time of year and the temperature of the water.

According to The Guardian, attacks are most frequent in New South Wales, which is home to Sydney, with swimmers at a higher risk if they head out to the beach during dawn or dusk hours.

Despite a rising number of incidents, the overall risk of being attacked by a shark in Australia remains relatively low.