A 17-year-old boy, understood to be a spear fisher, is dead in WA's Great Southern region after a shark attack.
Jay Muscat was with a friend at Chaeynes Beach - about 65 kilometres east of Albany - when he was attacked and killed around noon.
It is understood his friend was also approached by the shark but did not suffer serious injuries.
The Department of Fisheries has confirmed the teenager's death was the result of a shark.
"It has been confirmed that at about midday this morning, a man suffered fatal injuries after being bitten by a shark," the department said.
It is believed at least two men, who were fishing from rocks nearby, saw the boy's body floating in the water.
Cheynes Beach is a small coastal settlement of fishing shacks, holiday homes and a caravan park, surrounded by Waychinicup National Park.
While a Fisheries Department spokeswoman initially said the department had no plans to send officers or a vessel to the area to search for sharks that may have been involved in the incident, that position has since changed.
The Department of Fisheries has deployed equipment in an effort to catch the shark, which a spokeswoman said was "most likely to be a white shark".
Emergency services at the scene of a suspected shark attack at Cheynes Beach, in southern WA
http://t.co/3mUkJ0tVVW
pic.twitter.com/1g4cG8s0Y3 — ABC News Perth (@abcnewsPerth)
December 29, 2014
Here's Cheynes Beach yesterday after camping over the weekend. Sad reports of fatal shark attack today
@TenNewsPerth
pic.twitter.com/uW1NOp4sm0 — Beau Pearson (@BeauPearson)
December 29, 2014
The spokeswoman said Cheynes Beach was closed and beaches in the region were likely to remain closed on Tuesday.
She urged local people and holiday makers to stay out of the water.
People are urged to stay informed about possible shark activity in WA waters through the state government's Shark Smart website.
The website was updated late on Monday afternoon wth a public report of a 4.5-metre shark sighted at Cheynes Beach about the time of the attack.
UPDATE: Beach closed from 3 Stripes to Bluff Creek after fatal shark attack in Cheynes Beach near Albany
#9newscomau
pic.twitter.com/2J2JyqEnFk — Nine News Perth (@9NewsPerth)
December 29, 2014
Monday's attack is the eighth confirmed fatal shark incident in WA since August 2010.
Police have said they will prepare a report for the Coroner and are working closely with the Department of Fisheries.
