Australia: Man dies of shark attack on eastern coast

A man has died in Australia's north-eastern state of Queensland after being attacked by a shark, police said on Sunday.

The 39-year-old died after he was pulled from the water at Kennedy Shoal, a shallow reef some 45 kilometers (28 miles) from the shore and160 kilometers south of the popular tourist city of Cairns.

What do we know about the fatal shark attack?

The man was rushed to shore where he was met by an ambulance, but died shortly afterwards, a Queensland Police Service spokesperson said.

Emergency services were called to Hull River Heads boat ramp just before 12:00 p.m., police said in a statement. The Queensland Ambulance added that the injured man died at the boat ramp.

"The man was retrieved from the water and died from his injuries," police said.

Recent rise in shark attacks

This is the second shark attack in Australia this month. On May 16, a 38-year-old was bitten off an island near Perth in the west.

Around 20 shark attacks occur in Australia every year, but most of them are not fatal, according to conservation groups. Death by drowning on the country's beaches is far more common.

In January, dozens of beaches were closed along the east coast, including Sydney, after four shark attacks took place in the span of two days. The attacks coincided with heavy rainfall which created murky water that attracts sharks and reduces their visibility.

Australia has seen a recent rise in shark attacks that scientists believe could be caused by a change in the animals' migratory patterns amid increasingly crowded waters and warming oceans.

Edited by: Natalie Muller