These Shark Attack Stories Are Completely Horrific

In 2024, there were 47 unprovoked shark attacks worldwide. This number is down from a staggering 69 in 2023, with ten proving fatal. It’s still early in 2025, but Shark Stewards reported 11 shark attacks worldwide in February. Tragically, some of these attacks have also been deadly.

Swimmer in Hadera, Israel

In Hadera, Israel, warm waters from the local power plant attract marine life to its shores. Two of these include dusky and sandbar sharks, which locals are all too familiar with. Dusky sharks can grow up to 13 feet long, while sandbar sharks are smaller but still formidable at eight feet. The sharks gather along the shoreline, and human interactions are not uncommon. Interactions happen so often that locals rarely exit the water when a shark is nearby. For one swimmer, one such interaction ended in tragedy.

In April, a two-day search ended when Barak Tzach’s remains were found offshore. He was a father of four in his 40s who had gone snorkeling. Tzach had his underwater camera with him and, according to his wife, was familiar with the beaches of Hadera. She claims her husband only planned to document the sharks. Unfortunately, sharks in this area are too familiar with the extra attention. Swimmers have been seen touching and even feeding the local shiver. A friend with whom Tzach snorkeled confirmed that he had never touched or provoked the sharks that day, but he was attacked when returning to shore.

Two Divers Near Verde Island

Divers often encounter sharks. This comes with the territory, especially when their job involves being in a shark’s territory. Thankfully, the majority of these interactions are harmless. In most cases, both diver and shark go their separate ways without incident. However, a small percentage of these encounters result in life-threatening injuries. This was the case in the Philippines, where a freak accident took the lives of two experienced divers.

Ilia Peregudin and Maksim Melekhov were diving near Verde Island in late February when an undercurrent separated them from their group. This area is known for its diverse ecosystem, and sharks are no strangers to its warm waters. The pair was swept toward a high-activity area for sharks while the rest of their group surfaced and began rescue efforts. Melekhov was found unconscious and transported to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead upon arrival. Authorities discovered Perigudin’s body that evening; both of his arms were missing.

Surfer at Wharton Beach

Surfers are more exposed to sharks in deep water than swimmers are. The shape of the surfboard, which can resemble prey, along with increased movement, can sometimes trigger an attack. However, as the incident at Wharton Beach confirmed, these attacks can also occur in shallow waters. The tragedy was caught on drone footage, which was a traumatic experience for the family and friends of surfer Steven Payne.

In March, Payne paddled out at a local hotspot. Wharton Beach is known for its surfing, and this region of Australia is known for its significant shark population. While standing in chest-deep water, Payne was attacked by an unidentified shark. His partner and beachgoers witnessed the attack, and one of them operated the drone that ultimately confirmed what happened. Payne’s surfboard was recovered, riddled with bite marks, but his remains have yet to be found.

Surfer at Granites Beach

South Australia has garnered a reputation for shark attacks. The fatal attack on Lance Appleby marks the fourth fatality in only 18 months as of January 2025. Streaky Bay is a popular spot for surfers and also serves as a feeding ground for sharks. Its remote location makes it difficult to access and even more challenging to carry out a rescue.

Weeks before the attack, a local fisherman named Jeff Schmucker told ABC News he’d seen a 16-foot great white in the water. When Appleby paddled out to surf, no one anticipated that a shark would knock him off his board. His body has yet to be recovered. The tragedy happened just five months after another local surfer, Simon Baccanello, was also killed by a shark near Streaky Beach. Many locals stay out of the water at this beach, citing the increase in shark sightings.

Swimmer at Woorim Beach

Sharks are apex predators. Attacks can occur when their predatory instincts are triggered. The result is sometimes tragic, with an entire community reeling from the loss of one of their own. Woorim Beach is on Bribie Island, near Australia’s Queensland coast. Sharks frequent the area, but attacks were rare until 2025, when a fatal shark attack was confirmed at Woorim Beach. In just over a month, Queensland saw three shark attacks, two of which were fatal.

At 4:45 PM, paramedics responded to a call at Woorim Beach. The victim was 17-year-old Charlize Zmuda, who was swimming that evening. It’s estimated Zmuda was only about 109 yards from the shore when she was bitten on the arm. Although she was rescued, the injuries to her upper body were far too severe. Tragically, she died at the scene, and the shark that bit her was never identified.

Spearfisher Off the Coast of New Caledonia

New Caledonia is home to 49 species of shark. Between 1958 and 2020, there were 67 documented shark attacks, 13 of which resulted in fatalities. One of those fatalities happened in January, only two days into the new year. It was the first one the island had seen since February 2023. A man was spearfishing near Kendek Island when his family noticed blood in the water. They found him at a steep drop-off approximately 546 yards from shore. The man had been bitten by an unidentified shark on his arm, sustaining significant injuries. Although the man was familiar with the area, shark behavior can sometimes be unpredictable, resulting in a tragedy like this one.