A man has died after being mauled by a suspected large shark off the coast of northern Sydney on Saturday, prompting the closure of several beaches in the area.
According to a statement from New South Wales Police, the man was pulled from the water at Long Reef Beach after sustaining critical injuries but was pronounced dead at the scene.
“A man has died on the Northern Beaches after being bitten by what is believed to have been a large shark,” police confirmed.
Two broken sections of the victim’s surfboard were later recovered and taken for forensic examination.
The incident marks the first fatal shark attack in Sydney since 2022, when 35-year-old British diving instructor Simon Nellist was killed off Little Bay. Prior to that, the city had not recorded a fatal attack since 1963.
Authorities immediately ordered the closure of Pacific Ocean beaches between Manly and Narrabeen “pending further notice,” as emergency services responded to the scene.
Witnesses described a harrowing rescue attempt. An unnamed surfer told The Daily Telegraph that fellow surfers had dragged the victim to shore.
“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.
He added that lifesavers quickly ordered people out of the water. “There was a surf lifesaving guy waving a red flag. I didn’t know what it was … but thought I should probably go in (to shore).”
Authorities have not yet released the identity of the victim.
