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Australian killed by shark on Great Barrier Reef

An 18-year-old man has been killed by a shark while spear fishing on the Great Barrier Reef off the east Australian tourist town of Port Douglas. File/Getty Images

BRISBANE, Australia – An 18-year-old man has been killed by a shark while spear fishing on the Great Barrier Reef off the east Australian tourist town of Port Douglas.

The death on Monday was the first fatal shark attack in Australia since September, when a 50-year-old swimmer was killed at popular Byron Bay, 1,600 kilometres (1,000 miles) to the south.

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In the latest attack, police said in a statement that the man, from the nearby town of Mossman, was mauled while fishing with friends off Rudder Reef on Monday morning.

He was pronounced dead shortly after his friends brought him to shore by boat.

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