source : the age
An inquest will not be held into the shark attack that killed Queensland teenager Charlize Zmuda, with a coroner finding the Queensland government’s management of drum lines and nets to be appropriate.
Charlize Zmuda, 17, a dedicated lifesaver, died in February 2024 after she was bitten by a shark at Woorim Beach, north of Brisbane, just before 5pm.
In findings released on Thursday, coroner Carol Lee found that Zmuda died from injuries to her right upper limbs due to a bull shark attack.
Zmuda had been at the unpatrolled beach with a friend when she decided to swim alone. A short time later, her friend, who was waiting on the beach, saw a commotion in the water, heard a scream and saw blood.
Zmuda was found floating on her back, and the alarm was raised. Emergency services, and a lifeguard who rushed from a patrolled beach, were unable to revive the teenager.
In the findings, Lee reviewed Queensland’s current shark control measures, which include drum lines and drone patrols.
At the time of the attack at Woorim, the drone trial was in its first phase and conducted over the summer school holiday periods until further evaluation of its success, Lee said.
“Given the availability of funding remaining in the budget from days lost due to bad weather, Surf Life Saving Queensland were additionally flying drones on weekends up to and including February 2, 2025, the day before the incident,” Lee said.
“Shark nets are not suitable at the Woorim Beach location due to the high tidal currents experienced in this area which tend to twist the nets or drag it off station, which would render it ineffective.”
She said while nets and drum lines reduce the risk, they were not an impenetrable barrier.
As of March 2025, there were 18 shark control drum lines located off Woorim, about 300 to 350 metres from the beach.
Between January 2024 and March 2025, there were four sharks found at the Woorim Beach drum lines – a bull whaler shark, a blacktip whaler shark, a bull shark and a tiger shark.
Lee said substantial reviews were now under way through shark management plans, in addition to a significant funding investment.
“This demonstrates an evolution of Queensland’s shark-mitigation approach, from the operational status at the time of Charlize’s death to an enhanced, technology-enabled, research-driven program designed to reduce risk across the state’s coastlines,” she said.
Lee said having considered the information from the department and the government’s response to shark control measures, she was satisfied there was an appropriate risk mitigation framework in place to reduce shark attacks, with the aim of protecting human life whilst maintaining environmental protection.
“Against that background, I am not satisfied that it is in the public interest to hold an inquest,” she said, adding that publishing the findings online would raise awareness to prevent future deaths.
“There is also no uncertainty or conflict of evidence to justify the use of the judicial forensic process and no suspicious circumstances that have not been resolved or resulted in criminal charges.”
After her death, Zmuda’s mother, Renee, said her daughter was a shining light who touched the lives of everyone she met.
“She loved the beach, and it truly was her happiest place on earth,” she said at the time.
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