Swimming in cool waters on a hot day is a staple summer activity. But the small community of North Fremantle in Perth has come to learn the hard way that there may be more to what lies beneath than previously thought.
While jet-skiing with a group of friends, 16-year-old Stella Berry was mauled and killed by a shark. What makes an already terrifying situation even worse is that Stella was killed in a freshwater river—not in the ocean.
Roughly 51% of all Americans admit to being utterly terrified of sharks; 38% say that they avoid swimming in the ocean altogether.
After all, sharks can't survive outside of salt water, so there's no chance of coming into contact with one—right?
Despite what you've been told, sharks can (and do) survive in fresh water. Granted, you won't find any Great Whites or Hammerheads, but the possibility of a Bull shark circling below your feet can't be ruled out.
Stella was jet-skiing on Swan River in North Fremantle when she noticed a pod of dolphins nearby.
Stella jumped into the river to swim alongside the dolphins and was attacked by a bull shark. Onlookers say that Stella's screams spurred a nearby man to jump into the river to attempt to save her.
Sadly, the injuries Stella suffered as a result of the attack were too severe. She was eventually pulled from the river with horrific injuries to her leg and died from the resulting blood loss.
"It's an extremely traumatic event for everyone involved and everyone who knew the young girl, so I won't be going into the extent of the injuries," Robinson said.
Robinson made it clear that this was an uncommon event. He also made a point of stating just how unusual it was for a shark to have gotten itself so far upstream.
The randomness of the attack only further compounded the sadness felt by Stella's friends and family.
Stella was an art lover and an avid runner, who dreamed of one day completing a marathon.
Western Australia Premier, Mark McGowan, offered his condolences and weighed in with his own thoughts on the matter.
McGowan notes that while there have been several safety measures implemented to help swimmers in the ocean, the river is a more complicated issue.
The shallow waters and sandy bottom causes the water to turn brown, making visibility almost impossible.
Punch explained that a shark barrier could work as an alternative and that the Fisheries are always open to having these conversations with local government reps.
