Australia shark attack: Man dies at popular tourist hotspot Cable Beach

A 55-year-old man has died after being attacked by a shark in Western Australia, the eighth shark-related fatality in the country this year.

Police were called to Cable Beach, a popular tourist spot on Australia's Indian Ocean coast, at about 8.40am on Sunday.

The man was pulled from the water with serious injuries and treated by police before paramedics arrived. He died at the scene, police said.

Local media reports said the man was bitten on the upper thigh and hand.

The species of shark involved in the attack is not known.

Park rangers immediately closed the beach and a fishing vessel was assigned to patrol the area.

The man was the eighth victim to die in a shark attack in Australia this year, the highest toll since 1929 when nine people died.

The most recent previous attack in Esperance, Western Australia, occurred on 9 October when a surfer was dragged from his board by a shark, according to his companions.

His body was not found despite a three-day search but his surfboard and parts of his wetsuit were located.