Australian teen surfer mauled to death by shark

A 17-year-old girl has died after she was mauled by a shark while surfing in Western Australia's south coast.

The girl was surfing in the surfer resort of Kelp Beds, near the town of Esperance in Wylie Bay, with her dad when the shark launched its attack.

Local reports said that that girl's leg was badly mutilated and that she lost a lot of blood before she was pulled from the water.

Images circulated on social media showed ambulance crews next to the beach frantically attempting to stem the bleeding before she was taken to hospital.

It was initially reported she was fighting for her life, but it was later confirmed she died in Esperance Hospital.

Esperance Police have paid their condolences to the girl and described the circumstances as "devastating".

Authorities have also since closed Wylie Bay until further notice and have advised people not to enter the water for the next 48 hours.

According to government website Shark Smart WA, a medium-sized great white has been spotted in the area twice over the past week.

The girl has been named on social media as Latricia Brouwer, however this has not been confirmed by local authorities.

According to data from the Shark Research Institute, this is the eighth shark attack in Australian waters this year, and the first fatality.