A 57-year-old man has died on a popular Australian beach after being attacked by a large shark in what police described as a “great tragedy”. The surfer, who has left behind a wife and child, had been in the water at Long Reef beach, near Dee Why in Sydney, for around half an hour when he was attacked, roughly 100 metres offshore. Police said he lost “a number of limbs” and his body was found “floating in the surf”.
The victim lived locally, New South Wales police superintendent John Duncan told reporters on Saturday, and was not able to be resuscitated at the scene after suffering “catastrophic injuries”. A stretch of Sydney’s northern seafront, from Manly to Narrabeen has been closed by authorities, pending further investigation. “Two sections of the surfboard have been recovered and taken for expert examination,” a police statement read.
The state police force was called to the popular white sand beach – known for its good surfing conditions – at around 10am local time on Saturday, August 6.
“We understand he leaves behind a wife and a young daughter,” Mr Duncan said. “Obviously, tomorrow being [Australian] Father’s Day, it’s particularly tragic.”
Steve Pearce, chief executive of Surf Life Saving, also expressed his “deepest condolences” to the 57-year-old’s family.
“Volunteers will continue to assist council and authorities to protect the public from further danger in any way we can,” he added.
Officers and experts were working together to “determine the species of shark involved”, police said.
The horror attack marks the fourth fatal shark attack in Australia this year, and the first in New South Wales.
A surfer died near Granites beach in South Australia in January, and a 17-year-old lost his life after being bitten off the coast of Queensland in February. A 37-year-old man from Victoria also died after an attack on a quiet beach in Western Australia in April.
The most recent fatal shark attack in Sydney was when British diving instructor Simon Nellist was mauled by a great white shark in 2022. The 35-year-old was the first person to be killed by a shark in the area since 1963.