A man believed to be in his twenties has been critically injured in what authorities are calling the third shark attack in just two days along Sydney’s beaches and harbour. The latest incident occurred on Monday evening at North Steyne Beach in Manly, where the surfer suffered serious leg wounds after being bitten by a shark and was rushed to Royal North Shore Hospital in critical condition following on-scene treatment by bystanders and emergency services.
The spate of incidents began on Sunday afternoon when a 12-year-old boy was bitten by a large shark at a harbour beach in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, sustaining critical injuries to both legs and being quickly taken to Sydney Children’s Hospital for intensive care after police and water police applied medical tourniquets and first aid. On Monday morning, a younger boy’s surfboard was bitten by a shark at Dee Why Beach, though the child was fortunate to escape unharmed.
Authorities and emergency services have closed beaches across the Northern Beaches area and are urging people to stay out of the water amid heightened shark activity, which officials say may be linked to recent heavy rainfall and resulting murky, brackish water conditions that attract sharks closer to shore in search of food.
State police and lifesaving organisations have deployed additional patrols, drones, and surveillance measures while continuing to investigate the sequence of attacks. Community leaders have described the incidents as unprecedented in recent memory, with officials warning swimmers, surfers and families to avoid the sea for at least the next 48 hours as they monitor conditions and risk levels.
Families of the injured and wider beachgoing communities remain in shock, with emergency services praising the rapid actions of those who assisted victims and calling for increased vigilance around coastal waters during the peak summer season.
English