‘Large shark’ kills surfer off Sydney beach, triggers panic

A suspected “large shark” mauled a surfer to death in a rare fatal attack off a Sydney beach on Saturday, Australian police and rescuers said, leading to a string of beach closures.

The man was pulled out of the Pacific surf onto shore at northern Sydney’s Long Reef Beach but died at the scene, New South Wales police said in a statement.

“A man has died on the Northern Beaches after being bitten by what is believed to have been a large shark,” police said.

Two sections of a surfboard were recovered and taken for examination, police said, adding that they were working with experts to identify the species of shark involved.

Images of the scene on local media showed police gathered on the shore and ambulances parked nearby.

The victim was bitten by the ocean predator while surfing in the morning away from a patrolled area of the beach, according to Surf Life Saving NSW.

Beaches between the northern suburbs of Manly and Narrabeen have been closed for at least 24 hours, it said.

“For now, please remain clear of the water at beaches in the vicinity and follow the direction of lifeguards and lifesavers,” Surf Life Saving NSW chief executive Steven Pearce said in a statement.

“Our deepest condolences go to the family of the man involved in this terrible tragedy.”

Surf life saving clubs nearby have cancelled all water activity and training for the weekend.

– ‘Critical injuries’ –

It was the first fatal shark attack in Sydney since 2022, when 35-year-old British diving instructor Simon Nellist was killed off Little Bay.

The previous fatal attack in the city was in 1963.

Drones were now scanning the beach for shark activity, according to Australian public broadcaster ABC.

Police said emergency services rushed to the scene following alerts that the man, who was not identified, had suffered “critical injuries”.

An unnamed surfer said the victim had been surfing off the adjoining Long Reef and Dee Why beaches.

“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, according to Sydney’s Daily Telegraph.

People were ordered out of the water, he told the paper.

“There was a surf lifesaving guy waving a red flag,” the surfer said. “I didn’t know what it was … but thought I should probably go in (to shore).”

Australia’s last deadly shark attack was in March, when a surfer was taken off the remote Wharton Beach of Western Australia.

There have been more than 1,280 shark incidents around Australia since 1791, of which over 250 resulted in death, according to a database of the predators’ encounters with humans.