Stella Berry, 16, killed by shark at Swan River once designed a shark-free ocean pool, Perth
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Stella Berry (pictured) died on Saturday
A teenager who was mauled to death by a shark once made headlines for her stunning design for an ocean pool that would prevent predators from attacking swimmers at a popular beach.
Stella Berry, 16, was with friends on the banks of the Swan River in north Fremantle on Saturday when she saw a pod of dolphins and jumped into the water around 3:30 p.m.
Moments later, bystanders heard a scream as a shark clung to his leg.
Stella was pulled from the river with serious injuries and died at the scene, despite the frantic efforts of witnesses and paramedics.
It can now be revealed that Stella was featured in a local newspaper in 2017 for her design of a shark-free ocean pool for Perth’s Cottesloe Beach, as part of a school engineering project.
Great white sharks had been seen on the beach, prompting the council to call for public submissions with ideas on how to keep swimmers safe.
Stella, who was in her fifth year at St Hilda’s Anglican School for Girls at the time, worked with one of her classmates to create a design for the ocean pool.
They were praised for their resourcefulness by the then mayor of Cottesloe, Jo Dawkins.
Ms Dawkins told Perth Now she was impressed with the design because it allowed smaller fish to enter the pool, while keeping predatory creatures out.
‘[The students] they tackled security issues, accessibility issues, social issues, and they’ve done it in very creative ways.’
Stella Berry once impressed former Cottesloe mayor Jo Dawkins (pictured along with a model of her idea) for designing a pool in the ocean to prevent sharks from attacking swimmers.
Cottesloe Beach does not yet have an ocean pool, but Ms Dawkins said at the time that Stella’s idea was so impressive that it could have been used.
In an accompanying image to the article, Stella is seen smiling next to Ms. Dawkins along with a model of her pool in the ocean.
The schoolgirl was also a talented hockey player and represented Western Australia in interstate competitions. She was selected to travel to Tasmania in 2019 to play for her state.
On the day of her tragic death on Saturday, bystanders Luke Smith and Joshua Warwick described the moment they heard Stella scream in the water.
“There was a big scream and then we see a girl jump up and we see some flippers,” Luke told 9News.
“We saw the police running down the hill, and we thought maybe they were chasing someone and then we saw a girl on the ground being resuscitated.”
Both teens had been swimming in the same spot 10 minutes earlier and said they were uneasy realizing they might have been attacked.
Stella Berry, 16, was mauled to death by a shark near Perth on Saturday. She jumped into a river to swim with a pod of dolphins
Luke Smith (left) and Joshua Warwick (right) relive the terrifying moment as the attack unfolded along the Swan River north of Fremantle at around 3:30pm on Saturday.
Stella’s parents, Matt and Sophie Berry, both teachers, said they were “devastated and deeply shocked”.
“Stella was a vibrant and happy girl with plans to live in Europe after school,” the couple wrote in a statement.
‘She was a loving person and a dear friend to many, at a variety of schools in the area.
“She had an infectious laugh that we couldn’t help but laugh at when we heard her.
“She was a beautiful, loving big sister and the best daughter we could have hoped for.”
Stella’s sister posted an emotional tribute on social media on Sunday.
‘Thank you for your blessings. She was the best sister I could ever wish for, I would never change a thing about her,” her TikTok post read.
A passerby described the scene of chaos that followed with emergency services doing everything they could to revive the mutilated teenager (scene pictured)
Both Luke and Joshua had been swimming in the same spot 10 minutes earlier and said they were uneasy realizing they might have been attacked.
Several of Stella’s friends gathered on the banks of the Swan River near the site where she was attacked, which has been turned into a makeshift memorial site.
Four teenagers stood arm in arm looking out into the water on Sunday before they were joined by two more friends as the sounds of weeping and wailing carried up the river.
Friend Lara Connolly said that Stella was a talented runner who wanted to compete in a marathon.
Stella was the “sweetest, smartest girl I knew,” Lara told ABC.
She never did anything wrong to anyone.
‘She was very kind. She loved art. She would sometimes ride her bike to see her and watch her run.
Lara said that she and another friend of Stella’s, Teagan McArthur, had promised to run a marathon in honor of the 16-year-old.
Shenton College Principal Michal Morgan said Stella’s death had caused “great sadness, sincere empathy and the deepest regret”.
“I understand and respect that people respond to grief and loss in different ways, and that a loss like this can trigger a wide range of emotional responses that aren’t always anticipated or obvious,” Morgan told The West.
“I have personally offered, on behalf of the College, our condolences and support to Stella’s family during this very sad time.”