THE teenage girl mauled to death by a shark after jumping off her jet ski into a river has been named.
Stella Berry, 16, a schoolgirl from Perth, was swimming in the Swan River when she was fatally attacked by a shark in front of her friends on Saturday.
The first images have been released of the victim who was believed to have been killed by a bull shark.
The teen had was reportedly enjoying a day on the water and playing with jet skis with her friends when she spotted a pod of dolphins and jumped into the water to swim with them.
The shark allegedly then appeared out of nowhere and dragged her under the surface as terrified friends watched on.
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Bull sharks are known as a vicious species and have often been found lurking in rivers in Australia.
A male onlooker was reported to have bravely jumped in and pulled her to safety, but she was too badly wounded to be saved.
One witness told local media that it was her boyfriend who pulled her from the river.
Paramedics arrived on the scene at 3.30pm local time and she was pronounced dead on the scene.
Joshua Banks, 16, was playing on rope swings nearby with a group of his friends when the vicious mauling took place.
The witness said: "There were about seven of us and we were on the rope swing for around an hour or two."
"We saw the dolphins, there were dolphins there. When all the police came by we thought we were in trouble."
Banks explained that they didn't know what was happening and they continued to jump and play in the water.
He continued: "We were so grateful that it wasn’t one of us, of course we’re so sorry for what happened and for the family involved."
Fremantle District Acting Inspector Paul Robinson said: "It’s an extremely traumatic event for everyone involved and obviously, anyone that knew the young girl."
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Robinson added it was "unusual" for a shark to be so far down river, which flows from Perth into the Indian Ocean. The attack took place a mile and half up the river.
It is the first fatal shark attack recorded on the Swan River in 100 years, when a 13-year-old was killed in 1923.
However another shark mauling had occurred recently in 2021 when a father-of-two, Cameron Wrathall, was bitten on the thigh and was lucky to escape with his life.
The Fisheries Minister, Don Punch, said on Sunday: "There’s only been six recorded historical attacks in the river, and this would make it seven."
He has said that new measures could be considered to prevent other attacks, including using shark barriers to protect swimming areas.
In a statement following the tragic incident, Punch said: “I am incredibly saddened by what has happened and I cannot begin to imagine what the victim’s family and friends are going through.
“We offer them our support but understand they will need time and space as they deal with this tragedy.”
Tributes have been pouring from the Perth community as Stella's friends and family mourns her death.
Earlier today, Stella's friends met up on the banks of the Swan River near the site she was killed to pay their respects.
One of her friends, Laura Connolly, told ABC, that Stella was the "sweetest and smartest girl that I knew".
"She was so kind. She loved art. I'd ride my bike to see her sometimes and I'd see her running."
Another friend, Teagan McArthur, said that her death "doesn't feel real".
"We were all in contact with her less than 24 hours ago and now she’s not here with us."
