Sydney: an alleged “great shark” mutilated a surfer until death in a rare fatal attack on a Sydney beach on Saturday, said Australian police and rescuers, which led to a series of beach closures.
The man was withdrawn from the Pacific Surf to the coast on the long beach of reefs in northern Sydney, but died in the place, said New South Wales Police in a statement.
“A man has died on the beaches of the North after being bitten by what is believed to be a great shark,” police said.
They recovered and took two sections of a surf table for exam, said the police, and added that they were working with experts to identify the species of sharks involved.
The images of the scene in the local media showed that the police gathered on the shore and the ambulances parked nearby.
The victim was bitten by the Ocean Predator while sailing in the morning away from an area patrolled from the beach, according to Surf Life Saving NSW.
The beaches between the suburbs of northern Manly and Narrabeen have closed for at least 24 hours, he said.
“For now, stay away from the water on the beaches in the vicinity and follow the direction of the lifeguards and the lifeguards,” said Surf Executive Life Saving NSW, Steven Pearce, in a statement.
“Our deepest condolences go to the family of man involved in this terrible tragedy.”
Nearly Surf Salvation Clubs have canceled all water activity and training for the weekend.
'Critical injuries'
It was the first fatal shark attack in Sydney since 2022, when the 35 -year -old British diving instructor Simon Nellist was killed to Little Bay.
The previous fatal attack in the city was in 1963.
The drones were now scanning the beach for shark activity, according to the Australian public broadcaster alphabet.
Police said emergency services rushed to the scene after the alerts that the man, which was not identified, had suffered “critical injuries.”
An unidentified surfer said that the victim had been sailing in the reef and adjoining why beaches.
“Four or five surfers took him out of the water and seemed a significant part of his lower half had been attacked,” said the surfer, according to Sydney's Daily Telegraph.
People were ordered out of the water, he told the newspaper.
“There was a type of surf salvage that waved a red flag,” said the surfer. “I didn't know what it was … but I thought I should probably enter (to the shore).”
Australia's last mortal shark attack was in March, when a surfer was taken from the remote Wharton beach in Western Australia.
There have been more than 1,280 shark incidents around Australia since 1791, of which more than 250 resulted in death, according to a database of predators' meetings with humans.
