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Teen fired speargun at killer shark

Albany teenager Jay Muscat was killed when a great white shark mauled his leg off the coast of Western Australia. Photo: Facebook

A teenager fired a spear gun in the mouth of a 4-5m white shark as it turned on him after mauling his friend Jay Muscat off a rocky outcrop near a popular beach east of Albany yesterday.

It was the 14th fatal shark attack off WA since 2000 and comes just over a year after surfer Chris Boyd was fatally mauled off Gracetown.

Matt Pullella told friends of the terrifying moments one of his best mates was bitten on the leg and killed. He paid tribute to the 17-year-old in a Facebook message he posted just hours after the fatal encounter.

"The shark hit me first then attacked Jay," he wrote. "The shark turned and came for me, I pushed the speargun down its throat and fired the gun!

"This is something no one should ever have to see."

Matt said he could not imagine how Jay's family were feeling. "My thoughts will be forever with you," he wrote.

Uninjured, Matt swam to the rocks at Three Stripes and hauled himself out of the water.

His screams for help attracted a passing boat fisherman who pulled Jay from the water.

The fisherman rushed the teenager to a boat ramp at nearby Cheynes Beach, about 70km east of Albany, to meet paramedics and police.

Several people at the ramp were ready to give first aid but Jay's injuries were too severe and there was nothing they could do.

A visibly shaken and distraught Matt tried to explain what happened as authorities loaded the boat with Jay's body aboard on to a trailer so it could be taken to a private area.

As news of the attack spread before Jay was taken to shore, children having swimming lessons at Cheynes Beach were rushed from the water and beaches in the area were closed immediately.

Fisheries vessels and drum lines have been deployed to try to capture and kill the predator.

Department of Fisheries acting director-general Rick Fletcher said that based on advice he had about Jay's leg injuries, the shark appeared to be big, probably 4-5m and a great white.

It is understood the shark bit Jay on the back of his thigh.

"It is possible the shark was actually injured during the attack, therefore we are going to . . . actually do patrols on the beaches as well," Dr Fletcher said.

"This is obviously an extremely tragic event for all the families and our sympathies go out to those two particular families."

Locals described conditions yesterday as warm with the water a crystal-clear blue.

Jay and Matt would have been protected from the offshore wind as they fished in the ocean off Three Stripes.

It is unclear how long the pair were spearfishing before the attack but Dr Fletcher said they had caught fish, which could have attracted sharks.

After the attack, just after noon, there were reports of a white shark spotted in the area about 90 minutes earlier.

But it had not been reported to authorities and beaches were not closed.

There were also reports a shark was seen at Cheynes Beach and the nearby popular rock-jumping spot off Three Stripes on Saturday, though the Department of Fisheries was not aware of the sightings.

In shock and disbelief, friends paid tribute to Jay, describing him as a beautiful and loving soul who died doing what he loved.

Bryce Aggiss said he had been out on a boat with his father, telling him about reports that popped up on Facebook about the attack, unaware it was his friend.

"Still coming to terms with it," he wrote.

"I can only think about how much I loved this guy.

"Living his life to the fullest and never letting anyone tell him what to do, him wearing his Hawthorn shirt everywhere, his love for the water and fishing and where his heart was at most, spearfishing.

"This guy was always the life of the party and one of the greatest guys to be around.

"I love you so much Jay and I'll never forget you bro."

Jay's Facebook profile image shows him in a wetsuit holding a 5.5kg dhufish he caught off Albany.

A popular teenager, Jay recently graduated from Albany High School, where he was a member of the volleyball team.

His parents own and run a pet shop in Albany.

Matt said yesterday he would never forget his mate and described the attack as a "big reality check".

"Stay safe and never dive alone," he said.

Some people returned to Cheynes Beach Caravan Park yesterday from an afternoon fishing or swimming at beaches along the coast, unaware of the attack.

At Three Stripes, families fished off the rocks as Fisheries deployed three separate baits 100m from the popular jumping spot in an effort to catch the shark.

Beaches in the area are expected to remain closed today and authorities have urged people to stay out of the water.