Six sharks killed after attack on swimmers near Great Barrier Reef

William Lytton, 61, of Scarsdale, NY, was bitten by a shark at a Cape Cod beach on Wednesday, August 16 2018. (AP)

Six sharks have been killed after attacks on two swimmers at a tourist destination in Australia's Great Barrier Reef.

A 12-year-old girl and a 46-year-old woman were mauled in separate incidents last week and remained in the hospital in stable condition, Sky News reports.

Drum lines, which use baited hooks to catch the fearsome predators, ensnared five tiger sharks, one which was 12 feet long, Queensland authorites said.

Fisheries Queensland told the Week U.K. the sharks had been “humanely euthanised” and “taken out to sea for disposal.” However, local media said they were shot, the Daily Mail reports.

INCREDIBLE PHOTOS OF THE LAST CZAR AND THE RUSSIAN ROYAL FAMILY SURFACE

“The message is these waters are not safe for swimming,”  a fisheries spokeswoman told the Week U.K.

The drum lines were reportedly to remain in place over the next week, although consevationists say the lines pose a risk to other marine wildlife.

According to Australian broadcaster ABC, the two recent shark attacks were the first in eight years.