On Saturday, 6 June 2026, 35-year-old Daniel Turpin died after a shark attack while spearfishing near Michaelmas Island in King George Sound off Albany, Western Australia.
Turpin was on the water with family members when the attack occurred late in the morning. He was brought back to Albany by boat and transferred to emergency services, but could not be revived.
How the incident unfolded
ABC News initially reported an attack by a suspected shark of about 4.5 meters. Emergency services were alerted at around 11:25 a.m. local time.
In a later ABC report, Daniel Turpin was named. Authorities placed the attack near Michaelmas Island, an island in King George Sound off Albany.
AP, citing authorities, reported that a roughly 4.5-meter great white shark was suspected. Until final confirmation is available, the species is therefore listed here as suspected.
Spearfishing and risk
The case joins several serious shark incidents in which people were spearfishing or freediving in the water. In spearfishing, blood, the movements of injured fish and longer periods near reefs or island structures can add stimuli. That does not make the incident predictable, but it helps classify the risk profile.
The ABC report of 8 June 2026 addressed exactly this question: after Turpin’s death, the Albany community discussed how spearfishers can prepare better and which safety routines make sense on the water.
