A beloved youth pastor in Queensland, Australia, died after a shark attack while spearfishing. The 40-year-old was bitten on the neck while in the water with his family, according to reports.
Emergency services received calls this past weekend and found Luke Walford, a youth pastor from the Cathedral of Praise church in Rockhampton, Queensland, suffering “life-threatening injuries,” according to The Straits Times.
Police said Walford was fishing off Humpy Island in the Great Barrier Reef’s Keppel Bay Islands National Park when the attack happened. A Queensland ambulance spokesperson said Walford had sustained a “significant life-threatening wound to his neck” and died at the scene.
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Walford had previously posted photos of himself in a wetsuit during earlier fishing trips and was believed to have been spearfishing at the time, according to community leaders.
“This was a young man who loved people, who loved God,” Claude Fingleton, the pastor of Cathedral of Praise, told the Australian broadcaster ABC, as noted by The Times. “He was greatly loved.”
A family friend said he watched the rescue helicopter fly overhead but had no idea it was for Walford.
“I always say a little tribute for whoever it may be, but to find out it was Luke was a very sad day,” Doug Webber told the BBC.
Donna Kirkland, a Queensland State Parliament member representing Rockhampton, expressed shock over the attack and described Walford as “a family friend, not only to my own family but also countless others.”
In a statement shared on Facebook and quoted by News.com.au, one church member wrote: “I’ve had the privilege of watching Luke grow from a child to a remarkable young man. I dedicated him as a baby, and over the last 10 to 13 years, I’ve witnessed his incredible contributions as part of our church staff. He was truly a beloved figure, especially among our young people, children, and the entire congregation.”
Several people remembered the late pastor as “remarkable, selfless” and “the most generous person.”
Another tribute read: “This man was the most generous person I have ever met with his time to all those around him. He went out of his way to give all he had to others, literally putting any of his agendas second to the young and old, men and women alike.”
Police indicated Walford had been on holiday with his family.
Humpy Island in the Keppel Bay Islands National Park is popular with camping enthusiasts who come for snorkeling, diving and easy access to reefs. It is part of the southern section of the Great Barrier Reef, renowned for its marine wildlife and visited by travelers each year.
Australian authorities recorded more than 1,200 shark incidents across the country since 1791, with over 250 resulting in death, according to The Times. Most serious bites have been caused by white sharks, bull sharks and tiger sharks.
Australia’s previous fatal shark attack took place in December 2023, when a teenage boy was killed by what was believed to be a great white in South Australia, according to BBC.
