Tributes pour in for father-of-two killed in horror shark attack at popular Australian holiday hotspot

Tributes have poured in for a 38-year-old man who died after being attacked by a shark at a popular Australian tourist destination on Saturday morning.

Steven Mattaboni, known to friends as "Mattas," was bitten on his lower leg at around 10am while out with friends on the water off Rottnest Island, near Perth.

The father of two young daughters, aged four months and two years old, is survived by his wife, Shirlene.

Reports indicate the creature responsible may have been a great white shark measuring up to 16 feet long, which was spotted just 80 metres offshore around the time of the fatal incident.

In a statement released following her husband's death, Shirlene paid tribute to the man she described as "a truly one-of-a-kind gentleman."

She wrote: "Our hearts are irrevocably broken by the loss of Steven, known affectionately to his mates as 'Mattas'."

Describing her husband as someone deeply connected to the water, she said: "An avid fisherman and spearfisherman, who lived and breathed the ocean, he was always in tune with the sea."

Shirlene remembered him as "fiercely loyal, endlessly generous, and the kind of man who would give you the shirt off his back."

She added that their daughters "have lost an incredible father far too soon."

Mr Mattaboni was also a talented Australian Rules Football player who competed for the premiership side Kingsley Football Club.

The club released a statement mourning the loss of someone they described as "a much loved friend to many within our club community."

"Mattas was one of the most genuine people you could meet," the tribute read.

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"He had a smile and presence that could light up a room, and he will be remembered fondly by all who had the privilege of knowing him."

Kingsley FC extended their sympathies to his wife and their two young children during "this incredibly difficult time".

The 38-year-old's friends witnessed the horrific attack unfold before them, according to Sergeant Michael Wear, the officer in charge of Rottnest Island.

The group, described as experienced fishermen who had taken their boat out for the day, pulled his body from the water and administered CPR as they rushed towards Geordie Bay jetty.

Paramedics and a rescue helicopter were waiting at the shore when they arrived.

Sergeant Wear described the response as "an all agencies' effort," noting that police air wing deployed an officer from a helicopter to assist at the scene.

Authorities have since urged beachgoers to exercise caution around the Horseshoe Reef and Marjorie Bay areas.

Rottnest Island is home to just 300 year-round residents, but sees up to 800,000 tourists flock to its shores every year.

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