A man has tragically died on a Sydney beach in Australia, after being bitten by a suspected large shark, authorities in New South Wales have confirmed.
Police said the victim was pulled from the surf onto Long Reef Beach in the morning but “died at the scene.”
“Two sections of a surfboard have been recovered and taken for expert examination,” the statement added.
The attack prompted the closure of several beaches in the Northern Beaches area, a popular destination for surfers and swimmers.
Emergency services were alerted shortly after 10:00 local time on Saturday (00:00 GMT) that “a man had suffered critical injuries,” according to the state police.
At a later news briefing, officers described the victim as an experienced surfer who had been enjoying the water with friends.
They said he had been surfing for only around 30 minutes when the attack occurred roughly 100 meters (328ft) offshore, resulting in the loss of “a number of limbs.”
Rod McGibbon, a duty officer from Surf Life Saving, confirmed that other surfers had brought the victim to shore.
He also warned that the beaches were expected to remain closed for 24 to 72 hours.
The victim’s identity has not yet been released. Police and marine experts are working together to “determine the species of shark involved.”
The last fatal shark attack in the Sydney region occurred in 2022, when British diving instructor Simon Nellist was killed by a great white shark. Before that, no deaths had been recorded since 1963.
While Australia sees around 20 shark attacks annually, mostly in New South Wales and Western Australia, dying from a shark attack is rare.
Historical data show the country’s shark attack mortality rate is just 0.9, meaning fewer than one person per year loses their life in such incidents.
