A 23-year-old man was killed by a shark while swimming with friends near the Great Barrier Reef off eastern Australia, police said Tuesday.

The man sustained serious injuries to his leg, hand and arm and died late Monday after being flown to a hospital in Queensland state, they said.

Police said the shark attacked at around 5:30 pm Monday as the man swam near a charter boat off North West Island, part of a chain of islands in the southern Great Barrier Reef.

There have been a string of shark attacks in the popular tourist region in the past two years.

Monday's attack came as Australia was under strict rules that prohibit group activities as part of efforts to stem the spread of COVID-19.