Pastor Luke Walford dies in shark attack on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef

A 40-year-old man has died after being attacked by a shark off Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, local police said.

Luke Walford, a young pastor, was fishing with his family when he was bitten on Saturday afternoon.

He was “severely injured” and despite their best efforts, died at the scene an hour later, authorities said.

He and his family were in the water at Humpy Island, in the Keppel Bay Islands National Park in the Great Barrier Reef’s National Park, when the attack happened. The area is famous for diving and surfing.

Walford was a school chaplain and pastor at the Cathedral of Praise in Rockhampton, Queensland.

Donna Kirkland, his local MP, said he was shocked, saying Walford was his friend and “countless others.”

“My prayers and heartfelt condolences go out to his beautiful family and to the many who have been devastated, like me, by this matter”, he added.

A family friend told ABC News that she saw a rescue helicopter fly into her home, not knowing it belonged to a friend.

“I always pay tribute to whoever it is, but to find out it was Luke was a sad day,” said Doug Webber.

Queensland Police said a report would be prepared for the coroner.

The last shark attack in Australia happened in December 2023, when a young man was killed in the south.

This year, there have been four more shark attacks in Australia, according to the local database.

In general, Australia sees more shark attacks than any other country except the US.