Australia shark attacks: two injured in less than 24 hours
Officials say two attacks in such a short time span is ‘unprecedented’

Two people are in critical condition after being attacked by sharks at a popular tourist spot at a harbour in the Whitsunday Islands in north Queensland.
The first attack took place on Wednesday, when 46-year-old Justine Barwick, a tourist from Tasmania, was attacked by a large shark while snorkelling near a yacht in Cid Harbour, leaving her with life-threatening injuries to her torso and leg.
A 12-year-old New Zealand girl holidaying with her father was attacked in the same waters less than 24 hours later, causing a “significant leg injury”, according to the Queensland Ambulance Service.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Both victims were stabilised on board nearby boats, before being ferried to land and airlifted to hospital.
Fisheries Queensland shark control program manager Jeff Krause said: “It is very unusual in such a short period of time — it's just unprecedented.”
Krause told the ABC that the department is advising people not to swim in the area, and that three baited drum lines will be set in a bid to catch the shark responsible for the attacks.
“We don't normally go out and search for any sharks that may have been involved in a shark attack,” Krause said, adding: “It is possible that there’s more than one shark involved in these unfortunate events.”
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
“This is a tropical area,“ Sea World marine services director Trevor Long told reporters. “There’s probably four species that could be involved in it, probably the worst of those species would be a tiger shark,“
“Unprovoked shark attacks have killed one person and injured 14 others in Australia this year,” the BBC reports.
-
Bluetoothing: the phenomenon driving HIV spike in Fiji
Under the Radar ‘Blood-swapping’ between drug users fuelling growing health crisis on Pacific island
-
Marisa Silver’s 6 favorite books that capture a lifetime
Feature The author recommends works by John Williams, Ian McEwan, and more
-
Book reviews: ‘We the People: A History of the U.S. Constitution’ and ‘Will There Ever Be Another You’
Feature The many attempts to amend the U.S. Constitution and Patricia Lockwood’s struggle with long Covid
-
Russia is ‘helping China’ prepare for an invasion of Taiwan
In the Spotlight Russia is reportedly allowing China access to military training
-
Interpol arrests hundreds in Africa-wide sextortion crackdown
IN THE SPOTLIGHT A series of stings disrupts major cybercrime operations as law enforcement estimates millions in losses from schemes designed to prey on lonely users
-
China is silently expanding its influence in American cities
Under the Radar New York City and San Francisco, among others, have reportedly been targeted
-
How China uses 'dark fleets' to circumvent trade sanctions
The Explainer The fleets are used to smuggle goods like oil and fish
-
One year after mass protests, why are Kenyans taking to the streets again?
today's big question More than 60 protesters died during demonstrations in 2024
-
What happens if tensions between India and Pakistan boil over?
TODAY'S BIG QUESTION As the two nuclear-armed neighbors rattle their sabers in the wake of a terrorist attack on the contested Kashmir region, experts worry that the worst might be yet to come
-
Why Russia removed the Taliban's terrorist designation
The Explainer Russia had designated the Taliban as a terrorist group over 20 years ago
-
Inside the Israel-Turkey geopolitical dance across Syria
THE EXPLAINER As Syria struggles in the wake of the Assad regime's collapse, its neighbors are carefully coordinating to avoid potential military confrontations