Logo

A married dad was killed in a horrific shark attack while spearfishing off Australia’s northeast coast — marking the country’s second deadly mauling this month.

Michael Jensz, 39, suffered a fatal head wound after being savaged by a suspected bull shark while diving for fish with friends near Kennedy Shoal, a remote reef about 28 miles off the Queensland coast, Sunday afternoon, according to local media.

One terrified pal reportedly yanked him from the blood-soaked water and frantically sent out an SOS before racing to shore, where paramedics were standing by at the Hull River boat ramp near Cardwell.


  Michael Jensz, 39, suffered a fatal head wound after being savaged by a suspected bull shark while diving for fish with friends near Kennedy Shoal, according to reports. 9News Michael Jensz, 39, suffered a fatal head wound after being savaged by a suspected bull shark while diving for fish with friends near Kennedy Shoal, according to reports. 9News

The married dad was pronounced dead at the scene.

“I saw the police officer … at the ramp stopping people from coming in, and you just thinking to yourself, ‘That could have been me out there today,'” spear fisher Ebony Harper told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation of the fatal scene.

“It just really hit because it was so close to home. The shark population there is certainly increasing, and they’re becoming very in tune with the sound of motors, the sound of your spear gun. I’m sending my thoughts to family and friends. It’s really tragic.”

Sunday’s deadly shark attack is the country’s third this year — and the second in just weeks.


  A 39-year-old man has died after being attacked by a shark at the Great Barrier Reef on May 24, 2026. Mel Campbell – stock.adobe.com A 39-year-old man has died after being attacked by a shark at the Great Barrier Reef on May 24, 2026. Mel Campbell – stock.adobe.com

Steven Mattaboni, 38, died on May 15 after a great shark bit him in the leg while he was diving at Horseshoe Reef near Rottnest Island, about 19 miles west of Perth, 7NEWs reported.

A young boy was also killed by a marine predator in Sydney Harbour in January.

The string of deadly maulings has reignited debate over shark management in Queensland, with MP Bob Katter renewing calls for a shark cull.

“Human beings are being sacrificed for ideology,” he told 9News.

“But every time we raise safer waterways, we are lectured by public servants and activists who have never spent five minutes in the water north of MacKay. When did human beings become less important than sharks?”

Comments
anonymous profile image
Powered by RoundtableBuilt on infrastructure designed for real-time media. Learn more at RTB.io.© Roundtable 2026. By using this site you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy