Dad killed by shark while diving with daughter off Tasmania

HOBART, Australia— A man was killed by a shark on Saturday off the Australian island state of Tasmania while diving with his daughter, media reported.

The attack happened off the east coast near where a 4 ½- meter (15- foot) great white shark was seen on Friday, government ranger Peter Lingard told The Examiner newspaper.

Witnesses say his daughter was under water with him diving for scallops when the attack occurred, the newspaper said.

The daughter saw the attack, rose to the surface and let off a flare to get the attention of other boats in the area, The Mercury newspaper reported.

Police are expected to hold a news conference on the tragedy later Saturday. Lingard did not immediately respond to The Associated Press’s request for comment.

The last fatal attack off the Australian coast occurred in February. Japanese tourist Tadashi Nakahara, 41, lost both his legs to a great white shark 3 to 4 meters (10 to 13 feet) long while surfing at Ballina, 1,600 kilometers (1,000 miles) north of the scene of Saturday’s attack.

READ: Surfer killed after shark bites off legs in Australia | Man mauled by shark in Australia

Sharks are common off Australia’s beaches, but fatal attacks are rare. The country has averaged fewer than two deadly attacks per year in recent decades.