'Devoted' father and grandfather-to-be swimming at popular beach killed in suspected fatal shark attack

close Video Beachgoer unknowingly records great white while filming family outing in California Soren Stevenson shares how a spontaneous decision to record every wave during an early morning trip to Newport Beach led to the discovery of a massive great white shark only after reviewing the footage hours later. NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! Hören Sie sich diesen Artikel an 2 Min A "devoted" father and grandfather-to-be was reportedly killed by a shark this week while swimming at a beach in Australia. Greg O'Neill, 63, was swimming at Sorrento Beach in the northern suburbs of Perth in Australia" class="entity-link entity-location" data-entity-id="706" data-entity-type="location">Western Australia on Friday when the attack happened in front of horrified beachgoers. "I couldn’t believe there was that much blood (that had) come out of a human body," Ryan Rowe, a resident who went to the beach soon after the attack, told The West Australian newspaper. AUSTRALIAN SURFER RISKED HIS LIFE TO SAVE FELLOW SURFER WHO HAD BEEN ATTACKED BY A SHARK A great white shark swims in a file photo. (Design Pics Editorial/Universal Images Group via Getty Images) O’Neill’s death also prompted Australia's fisheries minister, Jackie Jarvis, to make the rare call for a catch-and-kill of the great white, which is a protected species. "In making that decision, I considered the exceptional circumstances of the attack, the hazard posed by the shark, and the potential recovery of coronial evidence," she said. MAN DIES AFTER ATTACK BY 13-FOOT great white shark NEAR POPULAR ISLAND RESORT: OFFICIALS Police haven’t said if O’Neill’s remains have been found, but added they were confident the "swimmer died as a result of the attack." Police stand on Sorrento Beach in Perth, Australia on Friday after a suspected fatal shark attack. (Andrew O'Connor/Australian Broadcasting Corp via AP) Witness Darrel Haythornthwaite told Nine Network television that O’Neill was swimming with a friend when he was attacked. "I was just shocked. I mean, I feel for his mate," Haythornthwaite said. "He's apologized and said 'I didn't save my mate’ … I said, 'You couldn't have done anything.'" AUSTRALIAN MOTHER HEALING WITH 'BEAUTIFUL MESSAGES' AFTER LOSING ARM TO SHARK ATTACK O’Neill told Australia" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="206961" data-entity-type="organization">ABC News Australia, "Our family is deeply shocked and devastated by the terrible tragedy that took the life of father, grandfather-to-be, brother, uncle, husband and friend, Greg James O'Neill." A police boat and helicopter patrol Sorrento Beach in Perth, Australia, on Friday after a suspected fatal shark attack. (Andrew O'Connor/Australian Broadcasting Corp via AP) "He was a generous, devoted family man that gave his children so much love, care and opportunity. Greg loved the ocean and was known as a passionate swimmer, sports lover, dedicated worker and an all round generous, witty guy," the family added. "The kind thoughts and support from everyone who has reached out are deeply appreciated." A surfer also suffered a serious leg injury on Monday in a shark attack about 250 miles north of Perth. O’Neill was the fifth fatal shark attack this year. Three spearfishing divers were killed between May and June in attacks and a 12-year-old boy was killed in Sydney Harbor in January. Brie Stimson is a Los Angeles-based entertainment and breaking news writer for Fox News Digital.