After a day of work in the field, four Queensland Park and Wildlife rangers paused to take a swim to cool off at the southern Great Barrier Reef on Monday when events turned tragic.
As colleagues were returning to the boat ahead of him, Zach Robba, 23, was attacked by a shark and later died of the injuries after an emergency flight to the Gladstone hospital, according to the Australian Associated Press.
The rangers, whose work is to protect Australia’s national and marine parks, state forests and other reserves, had been doing maintenance work at North West Island, located 47 miles from Gladstone. Afterward, they went for a swim.
“They would have witnessed the attack,” Detective Senior Sergeant Tony Anderson told reporters Tuesday, referring to Robba’s colleagues. “There were four people swimming off the back of a boat, cooling down after a day’s work.”
Robba suffered severe injuries to his leg, hand and arm. It was the third shark attack off North West Island in three months, but the first resulting in a fatality.
The species of shark was unknown.
Iona College Old Boys’ Association, of which Robba was a member (class of 2014), shared the sad news on Facebook. Iona College’s Father Michael Twigg wrote, “This [being a ranger] was Zach’s dream job and he embraced all that it entailed…
“At this difficult time, we keep all Ionians in our prayers who are affected by this very sad loss.
“Every one of us has a Zach shaped hole in our heart. And each shape is unique.
“At the appropriate time we will be available to welcome all Old Boys to gather safely and give thanks for Zach’s life.”
Leeanne Enoch, the Minister for Environment and the Great Barrier Reef, told the Brisbane Times, “The ranger network is like a family and we have lost a brother today. I send my deepest condolences to his parents and loved ones.”
Photo of Vlassof Cay in the Great Barrier Reef courtesy of Mark Kolbe/Getty Images. Photo of shark courtesy of Wikipedia Commons. Photo of Zach Robba courtesy of Iona College.
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