A 20-foot shark tore a man in half as he was snorkeling off Australia's west coast, police said Sunday.
The man, a pleasure boat deck hand who was snorkeling with tourists, died instantly in the attack Saturday afternoon off the Abrolhos Islands about 250 miles north of the Western Australia state capital, Perth, said Police Inspector George Putland.
"The 26-year-old man was bitten in half by the six-meter (20-foot) animal and death seemed to be instantaneous," said Putland, adding that the man's body was not recovered. The search for the remains resumed Sunday.
The species of shark was not yet known and it was not clear how many people were in the water with the victim at the time of the attack. No one else was injured.
