Shark kills diver in front of daughter off Tasmanian coast Published duration 25 July 2015

image copyright AP image caption There have been reports of sharks in the area over the past week

A diver has died after being attacked by a shark in front of his daughter, off the Tasmanian coast in Australia.

The pair were collecting scallops near the town of Triabunna on Saturday morning when the attack happened.

The woman returned to their boat with the shellfish, but became concerned after her father, who was in his late 40s, did not resurface.

She jumped back into the water to check on him and saw him being mauled by "a very large shark", according to police.

"She immediately returned to the surface where she raised the alarm through setting off a flare and by making an emergency phone call," said Tasmania Police Inspector David Wiss.

Earlier sighting

Sailors in the area rushed to the scene and hauled the man from the sea using the air line he was attached to.

But his injuries were too severe and he was pronounced dead.

media caption Tasmania Police said that the man was scallop diving with his daughter

A 4.5m (15ft) great white shark was spotted in the area on Friday, ABC reports

Diver Danny Smith said he briefly came face to face with the creature before swimming away.

"It had no intention of biting me, I believe, it just sort of cruised past to see what I was," he added.

The last fatal attack off the Australian coast occurred in February, when a Japanese man was killed at Shelly Beach near Ballina.

Meanwhile, an Australian surfer who escaped a shark attack in South Africa live on television has returned to the water