A Western Australian hockey club has paid tribute to one of its talented teen members, Stella Berry, who died from a fatal shark attack at the weekend.
The 16-year-old was swimming with dolphins in the Swan River in Perth when the incident occured and the attack is the first fatal one along the river in a century.
YMCA Coastal City (YMCC) Hockey Club said that her family and friends had lost a “bright, talented, and beautiful young girl”.
Stella played for YMCC from Year 3 and represented Western Australia in national competitions. According to the club, she was consistently one of the top goal scorers across the junior divisions.
“Stella contributed to our community not only as a player, but as a coach to a young cohort of girls and volunteering at the canteen and special events,” the club said.
“None of us can begin to comprehend the pain that her family are going through right now. The Berrys are a beautiful and loving family who love sport and have so many amazing friends at YM. All we can do is embrace them and continue to give them all our love. They are a truly special family.
“Stella and her teammates are so close. They have been playing together since they were in primary school. They have known each other for most of their short lives.
“A happy group of beautiful girls who have bonded to become like sisters to each other.
“Their parents also share a special bond and have strong friendships which has been brought about as a result of their daughters playing hockey together.”
