SYDNEY: A suspected “big shark” Mauled a surfer to death in a rare fatal attack from a Sydney beach on Saturday, Australian police and rescuers said, led to a number of beach closures.
The man was pulled out of Pacific Surf on the coast of northern Sydney’s long Revstrand, but died at the scene, the New South Wales police said in a statement.
“A man has died on the northern beaches after being bitten by what is believed to have been a big shark,” police said.
Two sections of a surfboard were recovered and taken to investigate, police said, adding that they were working with experts to identify the nature of shark involved.
Pictures of the scene on local media showed that police were gathered on the coast and ambulances parked nearby.
The victim was bitten by the sea’s predators while surfing in the morning away from a patrolled area on the beach, according to Surf Life Saving NSW.
Beaches between the northern suburbs of Manly and the Narrabeen have been closed for at least 24 hours, it says.
“For now, stay free of the water at beaches nearby and follow the direction of lifeguards and lifeguards,” said Surf Life, who saves NSW CEO Steven Pearce in a statement.
“Our deepest compassion goes to the family of the man involved in this horrible tragedy.”
Surf Life Saving Clubs Nearby have canceled all water activity and training this weekend.
‘Critical Damage’
It was the first mortal shark attack in Sydney since 2022, when 35-year-old British diving instructor Simon Nellist was killed at Little Bay.
The former deadly attack in the city was in 1963.
Drones now scanned the beach for shark activity, according to the Australian public TV station ABC.
Police said emergencies rushed to the scene after warnings that the man who was not identified had suffered “critical injuries.”
A named surfer said the victim had surfed out of the adjacent long reef and Dee why beaches.
“Four or five surfers pulled him out of the water, and it looked like a significant part of his lower half had been attacked,” the surfer said, according to Sydney’s daily telegraph.
People were ordered out of the water, he told the paper.
“There was a surf -saving guy waving a red flag,” the surfer said. “I didn’t know what it was … but thought I should probably go in (to land).”
Australia’s last deadly shark attack was in March when a surfer was taken by the distant Wharton Beach in Western Australia.
There have been more than 1,280 shark events around Australia since 1791, of which over 250 resulted in death, according to a database of the predator’s meetings with humans.
