In a moment of raw, unbearable grief that has stunned Australia and the world, the wife of spearfisher Steven Mattaboni has released the final 27 seconds of his life — a desperate phone call capturing his blood-curdling screams as a massive great white shark tore into him off Rottnest Island.

The chilling audio, made public on Wednesday, begins with Mattaboni’s calm voice as he treads water near Horseshoe Reef. Twelve minutes later, the 38-year-old father of two was dead — his body savaged in one of the most horrific shark attacks in Western Australian history.

Shirene Mattaboni, fighting back tears in a statement accompanying the release, said she wanted the world to hear her husband’s final moments — not for shock value, but to honour the man who lived and breathed the ocean, and to highlight the sudden, merciless danger lurking beneath paradise waters.

The call starts normally. Steven, an experienced diver and passionate fisherman, is speaking to his wife while resting on the surface after a dive. His voice is relaxed, even joyful, as he describes the conditions and jokes about the fish he’d speared. Then, without warning, panic explodes across the line.

A massive splash. A guttural scream. “I’m being attacked!” Steven yells, his voice cracking with terror. The audio captures frantic thrashing, desperate gasps for air, and the horrifying sounds of struggle as the shark — estimated at over 4 metres (13 feet) — strikes again and again. For 27 agonising seconds, Shirene hears her husband fighting for his life before the line goes dead.

Those final seconds have left listeners shattered. The raw fear in Steven’s voice, the suddenness of the attack, and the silence that follows have become a haunting reminder of the ocean’s unforgiving power.

Steven Mattaboni, a 38-year-old surveyor and devoted family man from Perth’s northern suburbs, was spearfishing with three close friends around 10am on Saturday, May 16, 2026, approximately one kilometre off Rottnest Island’s popular Horseshoe Reef. The group had enjoyed a productive morning when Steven surfaced for a break.

What happened next was over in minutes.

A large great white shark struck without warning, latching onto his lower body in a ferocious attack. Friends heroically fought to save him, applying tourniquets and performing CPR as they raced him back to shore. Paramedics met the boat at Geordie Bay Jetty and worked desperately for over an hour, but Steven’s injuries were catastrophic. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Shirene Mattaboni, mother to the couple’s two young daughters — one turning three next month and a four-month-old baby — described her husband as “fiercely loyal, endlessly generous, and the kind of man who would give you the shirt off his back.” In her emotional statement, she said the family’s “hearts are irrevocably broken” and that the world has lost “a truly one-of-a-kind gentleman” and an “incredible father.”

Steven lived for the ocean. An avid spearfisher and diver, he had spent countless hours in Western Australian waters, respecting the sea while embracing its beauty and challenges. Friends described him as cautious, experienced, and always safety-conscious — the last person anyone expected to fall victim to a shark.

Yet on that calm Saturday morning, the ocean claimed him in one of nature’s most primal and terrifying ways.

The release of the final phone call has ignited intense debate. Some praise Shirene’s bravery for sharing such an intimate, painful moment to raise awareness about shark safety. Others question whether the graphic audio should have been made public, arguing it retraumatises the family and the community.

Marine experts have weighed in, noting that Rottnest Island remains a high-risk area for great white sharks, especially during certain seasons when seals and fish populations draw predators closer to shore. Spear fishing, which involves bleeding fish in the water, is known to increase risk by attracting sharks.

Western Australia has one of the highest rates of shark attacks in the world, and this incident marks the second fatal attack in the state in 2026. Beach safety authorities have urged caution, particularly for those entering deeper waters for spearfishing or diving.

For Shirene Mattaboni, the decision to release the call was deeply personal. She wants her daughters to one day hear their father’s voice — strong, loving, and full of life — even in his final moments. She also hopes the tragedy will spark meaningful conversations about ocean safety, marine conservation, and support for families devastated by shark attacks.

The Mattaboni family has been overwhelmed by an outpouring of love from the spearfishing community, friends, and complete strangers. Fundraising efforts have raised significant funds to support Shirene and the two girls, while tributes continue to flood in for a man remembered as a true gentleman of the sea.

Steven Mattaboni’s death is a brutal reminder that even the most experienced ocean lovers can fall victim in seconds. His final 27 seconds — captured forever in that haunting phone call — are now etched into public memory: a loving husband and father fighting for survival, calling out to the woman he loved as the ocean turned against him.

As Western Australia mourns yet another life taken by the sea, Shirene Mattaboni’s courage in sharing those final moments ensures her husband’s voice will not be silenced. It echoes as both a farewell and a warning — a love story cut short, and a stark illustration of nature’s unforgiving power.

The ocean Steven loved so deeply took him home in the most terrifying way imaginable. But through his wife’s bravery, his final words will continue to speak — reminding all who venture into the water to respect its majesty and its dangers.

A devoted father. A passionate fisherman. A man taken far too soon. Steven Mattaboni’s last call may be only 27 seconds long, but its impact will be felt for a lifetime.