A teenage girl died after jumping into a river, attracting the attention of an unknown creature

A 16-year-old girl was killed Saturday in what officials say is a rare shark attack in the city of Perth, Australia.

Acting Police Inspector Paul Robinson said the girl, identified as Stella Berry, was on a jet ski when she jumped into the Swan River, according to the Associated Press.

“Perhaps a pod of dolphins was spotted nearby and a young female jumped into the water to swim alongside the dolphins,” he said. As a result of the attack, she was seriously injured and died on the spot.

“The family was not there when it happened, however, her friends were, and as you can imagine, this is an extremely traumatic incident for anyone who might be a witness, so obviously we are offering counseling services to anyone who has witnessed this or affected by the incident,” he said.

BREAKING: A teenage girl has died in the first fatal shark attack in Western Australia’s Swan River in a century. #7NEWS

— 7NEWS Brisbane (@7NewsBrisbane) February 4, 2023

“The Swan River Estuary is a good habitat for bull sharks, which means people can come into close contact with them,” Andrew Chin, a senior researcher at James Cook University, told CNN.

“Unfortunately, some meetings end badly, and in this case, tragically,” Chin said.

“Bull sharks can be very brave, but it’s also important to remember that these incidents are very, very rare events – (though) heartbreaking and traumatic for everyone involved,” he said.

Professor Coolum Brown, director of research biology at Macquarie University, said bull sharks breed in estuaries this time of year, the Guardian reported.

“At this time of the year, there are more bull sharks in the river than usual, this is the breeding season. The females go into the river and the males chase after them,” Brown said.

Western Australian Fisheries Minister Don Punch said he believes the teenager was attacked by a bull shark, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

“We know that bull sharks, in particular, enter estuaries and freshwater river systems, so it is likely that this is the case,” he said.

“In history, there were only six attacks on the river, which means there are seven of them,” he said.

A Perth student who was fatally attacked by a shark in the Swan River on Saturday has been identified as Stella Berry, leaving her parents “devastated and deeply shaken”.

— Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) February 5, 2023

“Stella was a bright and happy girl who had plans to live in Europe after school. She was a caring person and a close friend to many at various schools in the area,” her parents said in a statement.

The family of 16-year-old Stella Berry, who died from a shark in the Swan River, has just released a statement. @7NewsPerth

“We are devastated and deeply shocked by the loss of our beautiful daughter Stella.
“We want to celebrate the amazing support we’ve received.” pic.twitter.com/hChJUUtxFJ

— Ben Downie (@Ben_Downie) February 5, 2023

“She had an infectious laugh… Stella loved making art and spending time with her friends, especially on the river and on the beach,” her parents said in a statement.

This article originally appeared in The Western Journal.

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