Man dies after suspected shark assault in Sydney

A person has died on a Sydney seashore after being bitten by a suspected “large shark”, Australia’s New South Wales police have stated.

In a press release, the police stated the person had been pulled out of the morning surf onto the shore at Long Reef Beach – however he “died at the scene”.

“Two sections of a surfboard have been recovered and taken for expert examination,” the assertion learn.

Saturday’s incident has resulted in a string of closures within the widespread space referred to as the Northern Beaches.

The state police stated the emergency companies acquired experiences shortly after 10:00am native time on Saturday (00:00 GMT) that “a man had suffered critical injuries”.

At a information briefing afterward Saturday, the police described the sufferer as an “experienced surfer” who had been within the water along with his buddies.

They stated he had been browsing for less than about half-hour when he was attacked some 100m (328ft) off the shore, dropping “a number of limbs”.

Rod McGibbon, an obligation officer from Surf Life Saving, stated the sufferer had been delivered to the seashore by different surfers.

He stated he anticipated the seashores to stay closed for between 24 and 72 hours.

The sufferer’s identify has not been publicly launched.

Local law enforcement officials and consultants had been now working collectively to “determine the species of shark involved”, the police added.

The final lethal shark assault within the Sydney space in 2022, when Simon Nellist – a British diving instructor – was mauled by a great white shark.

Prior to that, there had not been a deadly assault since 1963.

Australia sometimes data about 20 shark assaults annually, with most in New South Wales and Western Australia.

Historically, dying from a shark chew is unusual. In over a century of data, Australia’s shark assault mortality charge is 0.9 – lower than one particular person per yr.