Stella Berry: Girl, 16, mauled to death by shark created ocean pool design to stop attacks on swimmers as school project
PERTH, AUSTRALIA: A teenage girl who was killed by a shark once made news for creating an impressive ocean pool design to deter predators from targeting swimmers at a well-liked beach for her school project.
On February 4, 2023, Stella Berry, 16, was hanging out with her friends on the Swan River bank in North Fremantle when she spotted a pod of dolphins and dove in at around 3.30 pm. Onlookers heard her scream a while later when a shark grabbed her leg. She was eventually rescued but despite the frantic attempts of onlookers and paramedics, Stella died immediately due to her catastrophic injuries.
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Stella's shark-free ocean pool for Perth's Cottesloe Beach
As reported by Daily Mail, Stella's engineering school project was creating a shark-free ocean pool for Perth's Cottesloe Beach, which was reported in a local newspaper in 2017. The discovery of great white sharks at the beach prompted the council to request public contributions, with suggestions for safeguarding swimmers. Stella collaborated with a classmate to develop a plan for the ocean pool while she was a student at St Hilda's Anglican School for Girls in Year 5.
Then-Cottesloe mayor Jo Dawkins commended them for their inventiveness. She informed Perth Now that she had seen how the design let smaller fish into the pool while keeping predators out and she was impressed by it. "[The students] addressed safety issues, accessibility issues, social issues, and they've done it so creatively," Dawkins had said at the time.
Although Cottesloe Beach currently lacks an ocean pool, Dawkins stated at the time that Stella's suggestion was so excellent that it might have been implemented. Stella can be seen beaming in the photo that goes with the article next to Dawkins and a replica of her ocean pool. Stella was also a gifted hockey player and represented Western Australia in interstate hockey games. She was chosen to represent her state in Tasmania in 2019.
Bystanders Luke Smith and Joshua Warwick revealed the moment they heard Stella cry in the water after the shark attacked her on February 4. "There was this big scream and then we see a girl just jump off and we see a few fins," Luke told 9News. "We saw the police running down the hill, and we thought maybe they were chasing someone and then we saw a girl on the ground getting resuscitated," he added.
'Stella was a vibrant and happy girl'
Stella's parents, teachers Matt and Sophie Berry, expressed how 'devastated and deeply shocked'. they are by Stella's death. "Stella was a vibrant and happy girl with plans of living in Europe after school," the couple wrote in a statement. "She was a caring person and was a dear friend to many, across a variety of schools in the area. She had an infectious laugh which we couldn't help laughing at too when we heard it. She was a beautiful and loving big sister and the best daughter we could have hoped for."
Shenton College Principal Michal Morgan said that Stella's death had caused "great sadness, sincere empathy and the deepest regret". "I understand and respect that people respond to grief and loss in different ways, and that a loss such as this can trigger a broad range of emotional responses that are not always anticipated or evident," Morgan said.