Shark attack seriously injures surfer at popular beach in Australia

September 14, 2026 / 7:02 AM EDT / CBS/AFP

A surfer in his 50s was rushed to a hospital on Monday after being bitten by a shark at a popular beach in Western Australia, the state government and local ambulance service said.

Authorities said they received a report of a "shark incident" around 9:45 a.m. at Glenfield Beach, just over 400 kilometers (250 miles) north of Perth.

The man is in a "serious but stable condition," national broadcaster ABC reported, citing local health authorities. The outlet identified the injured man as Mel Ismail and released images of a damaged surfboard, which will be tested to determine the species of shark involved.

Locals were advised to take additional caution around the beach.

Australian scientists believe increasingly crowded waters and rising ocean temperatures are shifting sharks' migratory patterns, which may be contributing to a rise in attacks.

A 12-year-old boy died after he was bitten by a shark while swimming in Sydney Harbour in January. The attack that killed the boy was one of four recorded in the span of two days, which prompted officials to close dozens of the city's beaches.

Three divers were also fatally mauled in separate incidents between…

Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/world/