Greg James O'Neill

Greg James O'Neill was a Perth father, husband and passionate ocean swimmer who died on 18 September 2026 after a fatal shark attack while swimming close to shore at Sorrento Beach, in the northern suburbs of Western Australia. He was 63. In the days that followed, his family asked that he be remembered not for the circumstances of his death but for the generous, devoted life he had led beside the water he loved.

Public records of O'Neill's private career are limited; what is clear from the tributes released after his death is how deeply he was woven into family and local beach life. Relatives described him as a father and grandfather to be, a brother, uncle, husband and friend who had given his children love, care and opportunity. They called him a dedicated worker and an all round generous, witty man who loved sport and the ocean. Neighbours and regulars at Sorrento said they recognised his face from years of swimming and surfing along that stretch of coast near Hillarys Boat Harbour.

On the morning of Friday 18 September 2026, O'Neill was swimming with a friend about 15 metres offshore near Raleigh Road, south of Hillarys Boat Harbour, when a large great white shark attacked. Witnesses on the beach and nearby cafes described a sudden, shocking scene. Emergency services including St John WA ambulances, WA Police, Water Police and the Surf Life Saving WA Westpac Lifesaver helicopter responded under priority conditions. O'Neill was later declared deceased. As of the most recent reports, his body had not been recovered.

Western Australia's fisheries minister, Jackie Jarvis, took the unusual step of authorising a catch and kill order for the shark believed responsible, saying she had weighed the exceptional circumstances of the attack, the ongoing hazard to beachgoers and the potential recovery of coronial evidence. Capture gear was set about 1.5 kilometres off Sorrento Beach, and beaches across the City of Joondalup's northern coastline remained closed while authorities searched. The death was reported as the third fatal shark attack in Western Australia in 2026 and prompted renewed debate about drone patrols, barriers and other safety measures.

In a family statement carried by ABC News, 7NEWS and The West Australian, relatives said they were deeply shocked and devastated. They thanked the community for kind thoughts and support, and said every tribute was deeply appreciated. Locals laid floral tributes at the closed beach; lifeguards shielded grieving relatives from growing crowds as they paid their respects. Friends and beachgoers spoke of wanting to bring flowers for a man they may not have known personally but had seen in the water for years.

This memorial is for Greg James O'Neill of Perth, the devoted family man and swimmer named by his family and by Western Australian news outlets. It is not a biography of Australian financier Gregory Kevin O'Neill of La Trobe Financial, a different person with a Wikipedia page that was incorrectly linked when this stub was first created. Birth date and early life details beyond his age of 63 have not been published in the family statement or major news reports and are therefore left blank rather than guessed.