A surfer has died from injuries sustained in a shark attack at a Sydney beach, marking the first such tragedy in over 3.5 years, police reported on Saturday. This led to the closure of several beaches.
The victim, yet to be named, was attacked about 100 meters (328 feet) from the shore while surfing with friends shortly after 10 am at Long Reef Beach, located in the northern part of New South Wales’ capital, police stated.
Other surfers pulled him from the water, but he had lost too much blood and succumbed to his injuries at the scene, said police superintendent John Duncan.
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“He sustained catastrophic injuries,” Duncan from Sydney’s Northern Beaches unit announced during a televised press conference.
Police mentioned that two sections of a surfboard were recovered for examination.
The species of shark involved in the attack that led to Saturday’s beach closures remains unidentified, authorities noted.
This marks the first fatal shark attack in Australia’s largest city since a swimmer was killed off a beach in February 2022, which was Sydney’s first such death since 1963.
In 2025, Australia has witnessed three other fatal shark attacks, according to data from Sydney’s Taronga Zoo. In March, a surfer was killed by a shark in shallow waters on a remote beach in Western Australia.
‘Waving a red flag’
An anonymous surfer reported to Sydney’s Daily Telegraph that he witnessed the aftermath of the attack.
“Four or five surfers pulled him from the water, and it appeared a significant portion of his lower body had been attacked,” the surfer reported.
He mentioned that everyone was ordered out of the water.
“A surf lifesaver was waving a red flag,” he said. “I wasn’t sure what it was… but thought I should probably head to shore.”
Since 1791, there have been over 1,280 shark incidents in Australia, with more than 250 resulting in death, as per a database tracking human encounters with these predators.
(With inputs from AFP)
