SYDNEY, Australia: A surfer was fatally injured in a suspected shark attack off the coast of Sydney on Saturday morning, reported German Press Agency (pda) citing the police.
The man was “bitten by what is believed to have been a large shark” near Dee Why on Sydney’s northern beaches, New South Wales police said in a statement.
Emergency services were called to Long Reef Beach, near Dee Why, just after 10:00 am (0000 GMT) in response to reports that a man had suffered critical injuries.
“He was retrieved from the surf and brought to the shore; however, died at the scene,” the police statement continued.
Long Reef Beach is located about 20 kilometres north of Sydney’s city centre. Authorities have closed all beaches between the tourist hub of Manly to the south and Narrabeen to the north “pending further advice”, police said.
Police added that “two sections of a surfboard” had been recovered from the scene and would be examined by experts, who were at work to identify the species of shark involved.
Three species native to the region are particularly dangerous to humans: tiger sharks, bull sharks and great white sharks.
With around 5.5 million residents, Sydney is the most populous city in Australia. However, the likelihood of being bitten by a shark there or elsewhere in the country is very low.
Last year, there was a single fatal shark attack in the country, according to the Australian Shark-Incident Database (ASID). There have been three fatal attack so far in 2025, not counting Saturday’s incident.
Dangerous species such as the comparatively aggressive bull sharks spend more time around Sydney Harbour and the city’s beaches due to climate change and rising sea temperatures – and therefore pose an increasing danger to swimmers and surfers.
A study by James Cook University in Queensland found that sharks spends around 15 days more off the coast of Sydney in summer now than they did 15 years ago.
The waters of the Pacific Ocean are warming up faster there than in most other marine areas of the world. – BERNAMA-dpa
