16-YO Girl Dies in Shark Attack After Jumping Into Water to Swim With Dolphins | “Had a Lasting Positive Impact”

A teenage girl in Western Australia has been killed in a rare shark attack on February 4, authorities said. Stella Berry, 16, was jet skiing with friends on the Swan River in Perth when she jumped into the water to swim with a pod of dolphins, as per CNN. 

"There was possibly a pod of dolphins seen nearby and the young female jumped in the water to swim nearby the dolphins," Police Acting Inspector Paul Robinson said, per ABC News. Authorities reached the scene just before 4 p.m. near a traffic bridge, where Berry was pulled out from the water with critical injuries, including massive blood loss, 7 News Australia reported.

The girl died at the scene, according to The Sydney Morning Herald. It was the first deadly shark attack on the river in 100 years. "The family weren't there when this took place, however, her friends were, and as you can imagine this is an extremely traumatic incident for anyone to witness," Robinson said, per CBS News. "So obviously we're offering counseling services to anyone who did witness it or is affected by the incident."

Berry might have been killed by a bull shark as per some reports, but officials have not yet publicly confirmed the species that was involved. "I've spoken to fisheries and water police and unfortunately we have no idea what type of shark it is," Robinson said, per ABC News.

In 2021, a bull shark attacked a local man in his 50s in the same river, CNN reported. The sharks can be aggressive at times, experts said. "The Swan River estuary is good bull shark habitat and this means people can come into close contact with them," Andrew Chin, a senior research fellow at James Cook University, told the outlet.

Berry is remembered by her school community as having "an impressive sense of conviction about where she was in her life and what she hoped to achieve." Her school principal, Michael Morgan, wrote in a statement on social media, "I would not presume to assert that I understand the pain and anguish that is being felt by the Berry family and Stella's friends at this difficult time. I do hope, however, that as Principal of Shenton College, I have the responsibility and right to respectfully acknowledge and celebrate the life of Stella Berry – Shenton student, Year 11." 

"She wanted to run a marathon; she saw herself completing school and going to explore life overseas," Morgan added. "In her short time here at Shenton College, Stella has given embodiment to her name – for Stella, like her name, was a star. She radiated light into the lives of others and had a lasting positive impact on everyone she touched," Morgan continued.

The girl's parents, Matt and Sophie Berry released a statement following her death, per the Sydney Morning Herald. "We are devastated and deeply shocked by the loss of our beautiful daughter who was a vibrant and happy girl with plans of living in Europe after school," they wrote in part. "She was a caring person and was a dear friend to many, across a variety of schools in the area," they said, and added, "She had an infectious laugh which we couldn't help laughing at too when we heard it."

References:

https://people.com/human-interest/girl-16-dies-australia-shark-attack-after-jumping-into-water-swim-dolphins/

https://edition.cnn.com/2023/02/04/asia/shark-attack-teenager-death-perth-swan-river-intl-hnk/index.html

https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/teenage-girl-killed-shark-jet-skiing-australia-96894090

https://7news.com.au/news/sharks/perth-teen-fatally-mauled-once-offered-plan-to-keep-swimmers-safe-from-sharks-c-9668675

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/teenage-girl-killed-by-shark-in-australia-while-jet-skiing/

https://www.facebook.com/shentoncollege/posts/643635841098985

https://www.smh.com.au/national/western-australia/shenton-college-student-named-as-victim-of-fatal-shark-attack-20230205-p5ci0w.html

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