A woman is in a critical condition after being attacked by a shark at a beach east of Sydney, in the latest series of shark attacks in Australia.
The attack on Coogee Beach happened just after 11 a.m. local time (0100 GMT) on Saturday, police said. “The woman was pulled from the water by members of the public, who began first aid before emergency services arrived,” police said.
A New South Wales Ambulance spokesperson said, “He has large flesh wounds to his leg and arm which will require major surgery.”
Helicopters and jet skis search for sharks in Coogee
Authorities closed Coogee Beach and several surrounding beaches following Saturday’s attack.
A shark-detecting helicopter hovered over the beach, while jet skis were dispatched to patrol the waters for any signs of the predator.
“We will work closely with the New South Wales government and await direction on when it is safe to reopen,” council mayor Dylan Parker told reporters.
Four people have died in an unusually high number of shark attacks across Australia this year.
Australian scientists believe rising ocean temperatures are changing sharks’ migratory patterns. This, combined with increased crowding in the water, may contribute to more frequent shark attacks.
Witnesses describe chaotic scene in Coogee
Nicola Logan, a witness to the attack, said she saw “a large pool of blood” in the water. He then saw the woman “moving towards the swim” and described “a lot of splashing”.
The incident comes just a week after a man died in a shark attack while fishing on Queensland’s Great Barrier Reef. Last month, a 38-year-old man died after a shark attack on an island in Western Australia.
There have been about 1,300 shark incidents around Australia since 1791. According to a database of shark encounters with humans, more than 260 of these died.
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Edited by: Roshni Majumdar