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A teenage girl who was mauled to death by a shark has been pictured for the first time.
Stella Berry, 16, was hanging out with friends in the Swan River in Australia on Saturday (February 4) before the fateful attack at about 3:30pm.
The schoolgirl saw a pod of dolphins swimming in the water and jumped in.
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It was then that the vicious creature, likely a bull shark, latched onto her leg in front of her terrified pals, according to authorities.
Stella was pulled to shore by witnesses who tried to save her but she tragically died at the scene, making this the first lethal shark attack at the river in over 100 years.
Tributes have since poured in remembering the teenager, who was a talented hockey player and runner and loved to make dance videos on social media.
Gathering near to the spot where she was attacked, fellow students from Perth's Shenton College, where she was in Year 11, were overcome with emotion as they described their beloved friend.
Lara Connolly, remembered the tragic teen to ABC as the "sweetest and smartest girl that I knew".
"She never did anything wrong to anybody," Lara added.
"She was so kind. She loved art. I'd ride my bike to see her sometimes and I'd see her running."
Shenton College principal Michal Morgan said the untimely death had caused "great sadness, sincere empathy and the deepest regret."
"I understand and respect that people respond to grief and loss in different ways, and that a loss such as this can trigger a broad range of emotional responses that are not always anticipated or evident," Mr Morgan told The West.
"I have personally offered, on behalf of the College, our condolences and support to Stella's family during this very sad time."
Meanwhile, Fremantle District Acting Inspector Paul Robinson described the incident as 'traumatic', adding: "It's an extremely traumatic event for everyone involved and everyone who knew the young girl, so I won't be going into the extent of the injuries.
"It is unusual for a shark to be that far down the river… at this point in time an alert has been put out, a shark warning just to let people know this incident has taken place."
Western Australia Premier Mark McGowan also spoke of the tragedy.
"It must be awfully tragic for [Stella's family], all our thoughts go to them at this point in time," he said.
"In terms of these events, they're very rare events, but when they happen, it's just awful."
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- Shark Attacks
- Sharks
- Australia
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