A 40-year-old man killed by a shark in Australia’s Great Barrier Reef has been named as church pastor Luke Walford.
Mr Walford was spearfishing with his family off the coast of Central Queensland on Saturday when he was mauled by a shark.
He was later found bleeding with extensive injuries to his neck, and died from his injuries around an hour and a half later.
His local church shared the news of his death in a touching tribute on Facebook.
‘[Luke] was attacked by a shark while doing something he loved – spearfishing, a passion that was passed down to him by his father,’ they said in a statement.
‘He was truly a beloved figure, especially among our young people, children, and the entire congregation.
‘Our prayers are with Luke’s family, especially his wife, his mother, and all his relatives,’ the church added.
This is the latest of a number of harrowing shark attacks to have occurred this year.
A promising rugby player was killed by a shark while diving off a boat near the coast of New Zealand.
Jade Kahukore-Dixon, 24, was swimming in the Chatham Islands, when he was mauled to death.
He was taken to a hospital on the islands but later died from his injuries.
His dad, Jacky Dixon, said: ‘I couldn’t believe it. I kept picturing him when he was little. I’m not going to have my son.
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‘He would do anything to protect his family. He was an amazing boy, a very much loved member of the family.’
Shark attacks have doubled in certain holiday hotspots for Brits such as Florida, Mexico and Egypt.
A year ago, a British diver was ‘headbutted’ by a shark off the coast of Egypt in footage captured on camera, but luckily survived.
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