The father of a 17-year-old girl who died after she was attacked by a shark off the south coast of Western Australia "tried everything he could to save his daughter", police have said.

Laeticia Brouwer was on a family holiday at a popular surfer break known as Kelp Beds, near the town of Esperance.

Her father was surfing with her when she was attacked and brought her to shore.

The West Australian newspaper said he "heard her scream before she was pulled under water by the shark.

"When she resurfaced, her father paddled over and dragged her to the shore with the help of another teenager."


The attack was reportedly witnessed from the beach by the teenager's mother and sisters.

Image: The teenager was taken to hospital, but died from her injuries. Twitter: @caitlynrintoul

She had lost a leg and was bleeding heavily when she was treated by paramedics on the beach before being taken to hospital.

Police later confirmed she had died from her injuries, tweeting their condolences and describing the attack as "devastating".

"The father obviously tried everything he could to save his daughter," said Acting Senior Sergeant Ben Jeffes.

"He's brought her to shore and then the family have contacted emergency services."

The teenager's uncle, Steve Evans, said the family was "heartbroken" following the tragedy.

"We can take some comfort that Laeticia died doing something that she loved," he said in a statement.

Image: A great white has been spotted in the area twice over the past week. Pic: File

"The ocean was her and her family's passion.

"Surfing was something that she treasured doing with her dad and her sisters.

"Laeticia will be greatly missed by her family, friends and everyone who knew her."

Officials have closed Wylie Bay beach until further notice and people have been urged to stay out of the water.

The teenager's broken surfboard is reportedly being examined to establish the species of the shark that attacked her on Monday.

According to government website Shark Smart WA, a medium-sized great white has been spotted in the area twice during the past week.

In 2014, a 23-year-old man lost both hands after a shark attack in the same area.

Although sharks are common in Australian waters, the country has averaged fewer than two fatal attacks per year in recent decades.