A 57-year-old man died after being bitten by a large shark while surfing near a popular beach in northern Sydney, marking the city’s first deadly shark encounter in three years. The surfer, who was in the water with friends off Long Reef and Dee Why beaches, was pulled underwater during the attack on Saturday.
Authorities confirmed the man, described as an experienced surfer with a wife and young daughter, suffered severe injuries, including the loss of limbs. His body was later found floating in the surf. Friends and nearby surfers brought him to shore, but emergency crews were unable to revive him.
New South Wales Police Superintendent John Duncan said the victim and his board both vanished underwater during the incident. He added that by the time the man was brought to land, he had likely lost a significant amount of blood. Witnesses in the area reported seeing the predator nearby.
Investigation and immediate response
Investigators believe a large shark was involved. Government specialists will examine the surfboard and the man’s remains to identify the species responsible.
In response, officials closed nearby beaches for at least 24 hours. Drones and lifeguards on water skis were deployed to monitor shark activity in the area.
The incident highlights how rare such attacks are. According to the International Shark Attack File, operated by the Florida Museum of Natural History and the University of Florida, only seven fatal shark attacks were recorded globally in 2024.
Of those, four were unprovoked. Overall, shark encounters declined significantly that year and fell below the global average.
Previous incidents and shark behavior
The last time a surfer was killed in a shark attack in Sydney was in 2022, when a British diving instructor died near Little Bay. Prior to that, the city had not seen a fatal incident of this nature since 1963.
Australia reported its most recent deadly shark encounter in March, when a surfer was attacked at Wharton Beach in Western Australia. In January, another surfer went missing in South Australia following a similar incident. His board was recovered, but he was never found.
SharkSmart, a government resource on shark safety, notes that about 100 shark species inhabit Australian waters. While most are not aggressive, the majority of serious bites come from great white, bull, and tiger sharks.
Since 1791, more than 1,280 shark-related incidents have been recorded in Australia. Over 250 of those have been fatal.
