Dad mauled to death by shark in front of horrified friend as rare kill order issued for monster great white

A “generous, devoted” dad was identified as the victim of a deadly shark attack in Australia — triggering officials to issue a rare catch-and-kill order for the vicious great white.

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Greg O’Neill, 63, was killed off the coast of Sorrento Beach in Perth, Western Australia, on Friday while swimming with his friend. His body hasn’t been recovered.

“Our family is deeply shocked and devastated by the terrible tragedy that took the life of father, grandfather-to-be, brother, uncle, husband and friend, Greg James O’Neill,” his family told ABC Australia in a statement.

“He was a generous, devoted family man that gave his children so much love, care and opportunity,” they said. “Greg loved the ocean and was known as a passionate swimmer, sports lover, dedicated worker and an all round generous, witty guy.”

Western Australia’s fisheries minister, Jackie Jarvis, took the “extraordinary step” to issue a rare catch-and-kill order — ordering authorized officers to “destroy the shark” if they capture it.

Catch-and-kill orders are controversial in Australia — especially since great white sharks are a protected species. This is believed to be the first one in about a decade in Western Australia.

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Jarvis said she gave the go ahead due to the “exceptional circumstances” of the attack and the “hazard posed by the shark”

Authorities have closed all beaches in the area until at least Sunday and have described the killer shark as about 8 feet long, according to the BBC.

Police boats and drones were seen patrolling the area throughout the day Saturday.

Catch-and-kill orders have been historically divisive in the state.

Major protests erupted across the region in 2014 after sharks were ordered to be killed following a sudden influx of attacks.

O’Neill’s attack was the second in Western Australia this week — the first being Monday when a 56-year-old surfer got part of his leg ripped off by a shark — and the third fatal attack in the state this year, BBC reported. Australia has had five fatal shark attacks overall so far in 2026.

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