A 17-year-old girl lost her life in a shark attack in the Australian state of Queensland on Monday.
Local authorities said the attack occurred at Woorim Beach on Bribie Island, just north of the state's capital, Brisbane.
Queensland Police Media Officer Dominica Czaczka told NTD News that the incident occurred around 4:45 p.m. local time.
"The female sustained life-threatening injuries and succumbed to those injuries just after 5 pm," she said.
"When I got the tragic news yesterday, I was extremely gutted, but something that my wife and I want to say is we don't want people to stop coming to the beach and enjoying our beach," an emotional Steve Zmuda told media.
In an earlier statement, another member of the teen's family said they wanted the community to focus on the "incredible life she lived and not the awful way she died."
"She loved the beach and it truly was her happiest place on Earth," Renee Zmuda said in the statement.
The incident has shocked the local community.
City of Moreton Bay Councilor Mark Booth wrote about the teen's death in a Facebook post.
"Our hearts break for her family and friends during this unimaginable time. May they find strength and comfort in the support of their loved ones and the community," Booth said.
The shark attack at Bribie Island is the third of its type in the state in less than three months and the second fatal attack in just over a month, ABC News reported.
These also come as a presumed fatal shark attack occurred on Jan. 2 when a 28-year-old surfer at Granites Beach near Streaky Bay in South Australia went missing. The surfer's disappearance occurred at the same location where another individual was killed by a Great White Shark in 2023.
Despite such reports, fatal shark attacks in Australia are rare, with 255 recorded since 1791, according to the Australian Shark Incident Database.