Holiday island reeling from horror shark attack as victim is revealed as devoted father-of-two

Tourists were still heading to Rottnest Island on Sunday, but were nervous, a day after a deadly shark attack.

Father-of-two Steven Mattaboni was spear-fishing near Horseshoe Reef when he was killed by a great white, described by witnesses as four to five metres long.

Tourism Minister Reece Whitby called it “extremely confronting and devastating” but was confident the tragedy won’t deter visitors.

“It is one of our most popular tourist destinations. It’s beautiful, and people are aware of issues in terms of personal safety,” he said.

“Sharks are there, but you can talk about any location. The ocean is the preserve of these creatures, whether it’s Rottnest Island or Cottesloe Beach or anywhere”.

The tragedy was front of mind for tourists at the B-Shed ferry stop in Fremantle on Sunday.

Gail and Devin Donoghue, visiting family from England, said they would not be swimming during their four-day stay on Rottnest Island.

“It’s just terrible, we really feel for the young man,” the couple agreed. “And it’s something you can’t control, can’t plan for,” Mr Donoghue said.

Helen Wilson, along with Neil and Pamela Towers — all in their late 80s and early 90s — drive up from Bunbury for a trip to Rottnest Island twice a year. The group said they always felt safe swimming at The Basin.

“It’s an awfully scary thing that’s happened,” Mrs Wilson said. “We prefer to swim in the bays where it’s more secluded … but now we certainly won’t be swimming at all.”

Rosslyn Hanlon, a dedicated beachcomber who collects bags of rubbish along every coastline she walks, said there was always a level of caution people needed to take.

“That poor man,” she said. “Rotto is so beautiful and I don’t think I’ll stop going, but it’s a reminder of the things we have to be cautious of — not only sharks when swimming, but even dugites when walking along the sand.”

Hayley Oho was shocked when informed of Saturday’s tragedy. It was her first time heading to Rottnest Island on Sunday morning.

“I will not be swimming, that’s so scary,” she said. “I’ll just stick to the quokkas.”

Jaqui Georgiu and her children were returning from the island at midday on Sunday. Mrs Georgiu said she felt deeply for Mr Mattaboni’s grieving family.

“It’s just awful,” she said. “Yeah, its certainly on your mind when you go out.”