783 people currently following
Australian shark attack victim named as father-of-two Steven Mattaboni as his wife says their hearts are irrevocably broken
He was doing what he loved. Spearfishing with friends off Rottnest Island near Perth. The water was clear. The day was normal. Then a four-meter shark came from nowhere. Steven Mattaboni was just twenty meters from his boat. His friends watched as the shark tore into his lower leg. They pulled him back to shore. It was too late.
The thirty-eight-year-old leaves behind two daughters. One turns three next month. The other is just four months old. His wife Shirene released a statement that is impossible to read without feeling the weight of it. She called him an incredible father. A man who lived and breathed the ocean. Fiercely loyal. Endlessly generous. The kind of man who would give you the shirt off his back. The world lost a one-of-a-kind gentleman. Two little girls lost their dad.
Australian shark attack victim named as father-of-two as his football club and the spearfishing community mourn
The Kingsley Amateur Football Club posted a tribute that painted the same picture. Mattaboni was one of the most genuine people you could meet. He had a smile that lit up a room. He was a much-loved friend to many. The club is grieving. The spearfishing community is too.
Graham Henderson from the Australian Underwater Federation said his heart goes out to the family. He acknowledged the sport carries risk. Safety boats and drones are used during competitions. But recreational dives are different. That is when people are most vulnerable.
Police described the attack as horrific. The friends who witnessed it are now carrying something no one should have to carry. The state police minister thanked them and the first responders who tried everything to save Mattaboni. They saw a confronting, disturbing, and tragic scene unfold right in front of them.
Western Australia authorities have confirmed the shark was four meters long. A report is being prepared for the coroner. The beach is quiet now. The family is shattered. The ocean took a man who loved it more than most.
