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Jay Muscat’s 2014 Shark Attack Near Cheynes Beach: What Happened

Jay Muscat, 17, was fatally bitten while spearfishing at Three Stripes Beach near Cheynes Beach in December 2014. Officials suspected a white shark, but its identity was not confirmed.

By Animalso Team 2 min read

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Seventeen-year-old Jay Muscat was fatally bitten by a shark while spearfishing at Three Stripes Beach, near Cheynes Beach in Western Australia, on 29 December 2014. Authorities said the animal was probably a large white shark, but the report did not confirm its identity or establish whether it was later caught.

Where and when did the attack happen?

PerthNow reported that Muscat and his friend Matt Pullella were spearfishing shortly after midday on Monday, 29 December 2014, at Three Stripes Beach, about 65 kilometres east of Albany. The report says Muscat was bitten on the leg and died from his injuries. A fisherman nearby pulled his body from the water.

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Three Stripes Beach is near Cheynes Beach; the attack was reported at Three Stripes, not at Cheynes Beach itself. The account in PerthNow’s report is the source for the incident details and does not provide independent confirmation.

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What did the surviving friend say?

Pullella told PerthNow that the shark struck him first, then attacked Muscat, and that he fired his speargun at it. Those details are Pullella’s account as quoted in the report.

Was the shark confirmed to be a great white?

No. Rick Fletcher, then director of the Department of Fisheries, assessed that it was probably a white shark, likely 4–5 metres long, based on reports and information about the injury. That was an estimate, not a confirmed identification of the species or of a particular shark.

What did authorities do after the attack?

Fisheries deployed baited drum lines near Cheynes Beach and Three Stripes Beach and monitored them from two vessels. Crews suspended the operation on Tuesday afternoon, 30 December, because strong southerly winds and rising swell made conditions difficult. When PerthNow published its report, whether crews would resume the next day had not yet been decided. The report does not say whether a shark was subsequently caught.

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What was the beach status at the time?

PerthNow said both beaches remained closed at the time of its report and that swimmers were warned to stay out of the water as a precaution. These were measures reported in December 2014, not current beach-closure or safety information. The report advised people then to follow closure notices, check SharkSmart and Surf Life Saving WA updates, and report sightings to Water Police; anyone seeking present-day conditions should consult current local authorities and official alerts.

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Cheynes Beachgreat white sharkJay Muscatshark attackThree Stripes BeachWestern Australia

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