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Teenage girl dies after shark attack near Esperance

A teenage girl has died after a shark attack near Esperance in WA's south on Monday afternoon.

The 17-year-old is believed to have been unconscious when she was pulled from the water, after the attack occurred at Kelp Beds - approximately three kilometres east of Wylie Bay.

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Esperance shark attack kills teen surfer

A 17-year-old girl has died after a shark attack near Esperance in WA's south on Monday afternoon. Vision: Channel Seven.

The teenager had been surfing at the spot with her father, when the attack occurred shortly before 4pm.

Her mother and two sisters were reportedly watching on from the beach as she was attacked by the shark. 

Esperance Police, St John Ambulance, Esperance Marine Rescue and the State Emergency Service rushed to the scene where they treated the young girl on the beach.

The girl, from Singleton, was seriously mauled on one of her legs, leading to massive blood loss.

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Esperance Express report Caitlyn Rintoul, who was one of the first on the scene, said a woman was being hugged by a paramedic as the girl was given CPR.

"Our local paramedic was giving her CPR and calling on bystanders to come over and lift her onto the next stretcher," she said. 

She was then taken to Esperance Hospital in a critical condition, where she died.

Wylie Bay Beach has been closed by local authorities until further notice.

Water Police have urged people to avoid the water in the Wylie Bay area for at least the next 48 hours.

The Department of Fisheries will monitor the beach on Tuesday.

Kelp Beds, also known as "Kelpies", is a popular surf break in a remote area also used for camping and four-wheel driving.

It is just east of Wylie Bay, where Sean Pollard was attacked by two great white sharks in October 2014. The Bunbury man lost his left arm and right hand in the attack.

Last year there were two fatal shark attacks in WA.

In May Ben Gerring, 29, died following an attack at Falcon Beach, near Mandurah, while a month later 60-year-old Doreen Collyer died after a great white attack in Mindarie, just north of Perth.

with The Esperance Express