A man has died after being attacked by a shark off the coast of the north-eastern Australian state of Queensland, police have confirmed.

Emergency services were called to a boat ramp on the Cassowary Coast, between the cities of Cairns and Townsville, just before noon local time yesterday, following reports of a 39-year-old being attacked while swimming out at a nearby shoal.

Queensland Police said in a statement that the man was retrieved from the water but died from his injuries.

It is the second fatal shark attack in Australian coastal waters in as many weeks, after a 38-year-old was killed while spearfishing near Perth, in Western Australia, last Saturday, reports the BBC. In that incident, the man had been bitten on the lower legs and could not be revived.