A man has died in Sydney after a suspected shark attack, New South Wales police confirmed on Saturday. The incident occurred at Long Reef Beach on the city’s Northern Beaches, where the victim, described as an experienced surfer, was pulled from the water with critical injuries but died at the scene.
Authorities reported that two broken sections of a surfboard were recovered and sent for expert analysis. Emergency services were alerted shortly after 10:00am local time, with witnesses stating the man had been surfing with friends for about 30 minutes when he was bitten roughly 100 metres from shore. Police later said he had lost “a number of limbs” in the attack.
Rod McGibbon from Surf Life Saving said fellow surfers brought the man back to shore before lifeguards and paramedics arrived. Local beaches have now been closed, with warnings expected to remain in place for 24 to 72 hours as officials investigate. Experts are working to identify the shark species involved.
This is the first fatal shark attack in Sydney since 2022, when British instructor Simon Nellist was killed by a great white shark. Despite around 20 shark attacks reported annually in Australia, fatal cases remain rare.
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