WA: Witness reports spotting GIANT bull shark day before 16-year-old girl killed

A massive bull shark was seen in Perth’s Swan River less than 24 hours before teenager Stella Berry was mauled to death, but it was only reported the day after the tragedy.

Stella, 16, jumped into the river near Fremantle’s traffic bridge to swim with dolphins on Saturday when a suspected bull shark latched on to her leg.

The Year 11 student was pulled from the water by heroic bystanders at around 3:30pm, but they were unable to save him.

It has since been revealed that a 2.5m bull shark was seen near the site of the attack at 6pm on Friday, but the sighting was not reported to the Western Australian government’s Sharksmart tracking website until Sunday by the afternoon.

There are regular sightings of bull sharks in the river, but Stella’s death was the first fatal shark attack in the Swan River in more than a century.

Several other recent shark sightings have been reported in the Swan River and its tributary the Canning River in recent days.

That included a shark sighted 10 meters offshore from the Shelley Bridge upriver on Monday morning.

The state government is reportedly considering setting up more shark nets along Perth’s beaches and the Swan River, but the use of drum lines has been ruled out.

‘These things are hard to predict and hard to avoid. No one is to blame,” WA Premier Mark McGowan said.

We’ll get a report from the Fisheries Department on the whole thing. If there is anything to improve, we will consider such measures, but it is a terrible tragedy.”

The town of Melville, in the southern suburbs of Perth, is considering installing a shark barrier around the Bicton Bath jetty, which is halfway between the site where Stella was killed and a January 2021 attack at Blackwall Reach.

On that occasion, a 10-foot bull shark attacked father-of-two Cameron Wrathall with such force that it broke his hip and left him with serious injuries, but he survived.

Hannah Fitzhardinge, mayor of Fremantle, 20km south of Perth’s central business district, said setting up shark nets near the Fremantle traffic bridge can be difficult due to the amount of boat traffic in the area.

But she told ABC radio that the council was looking into whether shark nets could be used on the other council beaches.

The shark sighting revelation comes after two teenage swimmers recall hearing a “big scream” as Stella was mauled.

Luke Smith and Joshua Warwick relived the terrifying moment of the attack.

“There was a big whoop and then we see a girl jump up and we see some flippers,” Luke said.

He made the revelation when Stella’s parents broke their silence to share their devastation after losing their “vibrant and happy” daughter.

Joshua described the scene of chaos that followed with emergency services desperately trying to revive the teenager, nine news informed.

“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,” he said.

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.

Stella’s parents, Matt and Sophie, said they were “devastated and deeply shocked”.

“Stella was a vibrant and happy girl with plans to live in Europe after school,” the couple, both teachers, 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.

Some of Stella’s friends gathered on the banks of the Swan River near the place where she was attacked, which was turned into a makeshift memorial site.

Four teenagers stood arm in arm looking out into the water before they were joined by two more friends as the intermittent sounds of crying and wailing carried along the river banks.

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 nice. 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 school, our condolences and support to Stella’s family during this very sad time.”