Father-of-two Steven ‘Mattas’ has been identified as the spearfisher killed in a great white shark attack off the coast of Western Australia, with his devastated wife saying their “hearts are irrevocably broken”.

The 38-year-old was attacked while spearfishing near Horseshoe Reef at Rottnest Island on Saturday morning, with police revealing his friends witnessed the devastating incident unfold just metres from their boat.

“Steven was a devoted father to our two beautiful daughters — one who turns three next month and our four-month-old baby,” his wife said in a heartbreaking statement.

“An avid fisherman and spearfisherman, who lived and breathed the ocean, he was always in tune with the sea.”

She described him as “fiercely loyal, endlessly generous, and the kind of man who would give you the shirt off his back”.

“The world has lost a truly one-of-a-kind gentleman, and our daughters have lost an incredible father far too soon.”

Steven’s mates pulled him from the water after he was bitten on both lower legs and rushed him back to shore, where paramedics worked frantically for about 30 minutes on the jetty in an attempt to save his life.

Despite their efforts, Steven could not be revived.

WA Police Sergeant Michael Wear described the incident as “quite horrific scenes for all involved”.

“His friends have actually witnessed the horrific event,” Wear said.

“The victim was on the surface at the time, about 20 metres away from the vessel.”

Authorities believe the attack involved a four-metre great white shark, while Surf Life Saving WA reported a five-metre white shark had been spotted about 80 metres offshore again on Sunday morning.

A search operation is set to resume on Sunday, with emergency services continuing to monitor the area.

Despite the renewed shark sighting and ongoing search activity, beaches on Rottnest Island have remained open, with authorities urging beachgoers and boaters to exercise caution and monitor shark warnings.

The grieving family thanked emergency services and first responders who “worked so tirelessly” to try to save him, while asking for privacy as they navigate the “incomprehensible loss”.

The death adds to a string of shark attacks reported around Australia this year.

In January, 12-year-old junior lifesaver Nico Antic died after a suspected bull shark attack at Shark Beach in Sydney’s east, while 27-year-old Andre de Ruyter lost a leg in an attack on Sydney’s Northern Beaches just days later.

Renewed calls for AI shark detection technology

The tragedy has renewed calls for advanced shark detection technology, with marine life ranger David “Sharky” Baxter telling Sunrise on Sunday the Rottnest attack was a “textbook perfect attack” by a large predator.

“He was spearfishing. That attracts predators around there, wrong place at the wrong time,” Baxter said.

Baxter, who was among the first responders to the fatal shark attack at Manly earlier this year, said autonomous AI-powered drones could help prevent future attacks at high-risk beaches.

“The system is fully AI-oriented,” he explained.

“If it spots something in the water that it’s been trained to identify as a potential target, it hovers above that target, activates its onboard alarm, and will stay above that, tracking that shape in the water.”

He said the technology could be deployed at popular beaches during peak periods, with each base unit estimated to cost between $20,000 and $25,000.

Australia recorded the world’s highest number of fatal shark attacks last year, according to the International Shark Attack File released in February.