SYDNEY: Beaches in Sydney’s north remained closed on Tuesday after a shark bit a man in his 20s, the city’s third shark attack in two days.
Emergency services were called to a beach in Manly in the north of the city on Monday night after reports that a surfer had been bitten by a shark, New South Wales police said in a statement.
He was treated for serious leg injuries and taken to hospital in a critical condition.
All beaches in the Northern Beaches, a council area that straddles the city’s northern coastline, will remain closed until further notice, police said.
Earlier Monday, a 10-year-old boy escaped unharmed after a shark knocked him into the water and bit off a piece of his surfboard.
On Sunday, a boy was left in a critical condition after being bitten by a shark on a city beach.
The attacks follow days of heavy rain that washed into the harbor and beaches around the city, creating ideal conditions for the bull sharks suspected of being behind some of the attacks. The species thrives in brackish water.
Australia sees about 20 shark attacks a year, of which just under three are fatal, according to data from conservation groups. These numbers are overshadowed by those who drowned on the country’s beaches.
