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Courts / Perth, WA

Swimmer dies in shark attack at Perth beach

ABC News
1 min read Rewritten in plain language

Shark AttacksMarine IncidentsCrime

Changed after publishing · 3 edits
  • the headline was changed: Man Swimmer dies in shark attack at Perth beach
  • the headline was changed: Witness 'traumatised' Man dies in aftermath of shark attack at Perth beach
  • the headline was changed: Breaking: Suspected Witness ‘traumatised’ in aftermath of shark attack at Sorrento Perth beachin Perth's north

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  • Emergency services are responding to reports of a suspected shark attack at Sorrento beach north of Perth.
  • WA police are currently patrolling the beach, and officers could be seen standing along on the shoreline next to a red surfboard.
  • The beach has been closed to swimmers and people are being advised to take caution.
  • Witness Jacqui Rapaic told the ABC she was walking along the beach with a friend when the incident occurred.
  • The suspected attack comes just a week after Surf Lifesaving WA's helicopter shark patrols began for the summer season.

5 sentences from our version of the report, chosen to cover it. Nothing here is written; every line is in the article below. How

Headline check

The one thing this headline claims is in the report.

Figures, names and quoted words in the headline, looked for in the report itself — not in the summary above. One claim in this headline could be checked, so this is a narrow pass and not a thorough one. How this is checked

Emergency services are responding to reports of a suspected shark attack at Sorrento beach north of Perth.

St John WA received reports of the suspected attack at 10:15am local time and have confirmed three crews have been sent to the scene, including one on priority.

WA police are currently patrolling the beach, and officers could be seen standing along on the shoreline next to a red surfboard.

A police helicopter was also seen hovering overhead in the same spot.

The beach has been closed to swimmers and people are being advised to take caution.

A witness has described her shock after seeing blood in the water.

Witness Jacqui Rapaic told the ABC she was walking along the beach with a friend when the incident occurred.

""My friend said, "Jack, there's been a shark attack" and I looked out to the ocean and I could see a pool of blood," she told the ABC.

She said she believed two men had been swimming but only one of them had made it back to shore.

Ms Rapaic said those on the shore were shocked by the scenes and felt helpless watching.

Russell James was also there when the shark alarm sounded.

"The helicopter was circling around and then the police boat came in," he told the ABC.

"There were a bunch of police and ambulances and a few people standing down by the water's edge near the groyne … there appeared to be a couple of surfboards or paddle boards down by the beach."

The suspected attack comes just a week after Surf Lifesaving WA's helicopter shark patrols began for the summer season.

Earlier, a member of the public reported seeing a 2.5 metre-long shark off the beach.

Sorrento is a popular swimming spot, located about 20 kilometres north of the CBD and just south of Hillarys marina which boasts multiple restaurants and cafes.

You are reading our version, not theirs. This is ABC News's report with its verdicts and loaded words taken out. Plain description stays, and so do adjectives that carry a fact, such as "former" or "federal". The reporting, the facts and the quotations are theirs — quotations are never edited — and the indicators beside it measure this version. Hover or tap Adjectives to see every one left in the text.

How outlets headlined it

Each outlet's own headline. Struck through: the loaded words our version leaves out. Plainest first.

  • ABC News Swimmer dies in shark attack at Perth beach plain
  • The West Australian Man fatally attacked by shark as emergency services shut Sorrento Beach plain
  • The Sydney Morning Herald Man feared dead after suspected shark attack plain
  • The Sydney Morning Herald Police continue search for missing Perth swimmer after horror shark attack 1 change

How this outlet filed it, and how we rewrote it

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Also covered by The West Australian, The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, Brisbane Times, WAtoday. We hold only their summary of it, not the report, so there is nothing of theirs to measure here.

Outlet Niral ScoreAdjectivesSourcingSentimentHappiness
ABC Newsas they published this story 8.6 5 74 -1.1 16
Mundane Readneutralized from ABC News 7.9 5 74 -1.1 16

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The same event elsewhere

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