A spate of terrifying shark attacks has struck Sydney's coastline, with three separate incidents occurring in just over 24 hours, leaving a 13-year-old boy fighting for his life and a man critically injured.
Chronology of the Attacks
The first and most serious incident happened on Sunday. A 12-year-old boy suffered devastating injuries to both legs after jumping from a 20-foot high ledge known as Jump Rock, near Shark Beach in Sydney Harbour's Vaucluse suburb. Police have hailed his three friends as heroes for their bravery in leaping into the water during the attack and dragging him back to shore. Superintendent Joseph McNulty praised the "brave" actions of the young men, noting the confronting nature of the injuries they witnessed. News reports indicate the boy lost both legs in the mauling.
The horror continued on Monday evening. At approximately 6:20 pm local time, a surfer in his 20s was bitten on the leg by a shark off North Steyne Beach in Manly. Bystanders rushed to pull him from the water before paramedics transported him to hospital, where he remains in a critical condition.
Earlier that day, around noon, an 11-year-old boy had a miraculous escape at Dee Why Beach, north of Manly. A shark attacked his surfboard, biting off a large chunk of the equipment, but the child emerged from the ordeal physically unharmed.
Beach Closures and Suspected Cause
In response to the unprecedented cluster of incidents, local authorities have closed Sydney's northern beaches, including North Steyne and Dee Why, until further notice. All three locations where the attacks occurred are equipped with some form of shark protection netting, though it is unclear precisely where the encounters happened in relation to these defences.
Authorities strongly suspect bull sharks are responsible for at least the first two attacks. Police had issued a warning following the initial incident, noting that recent heavy rainfall over Sydney had increased the amount of fresh and murky water in the harbour, a condition known to heighten the danger from bull sharks.
A Troubling Context for Sydney Waters
These attacks add to a concerning recent history of shark incidents in the region. Dee Why Beach is situated close to Ocean Reef Beach, where a 57-year-old surfer was killed by a suspected great white shark in September. Furthermore, in November, a 25-year-old Swiss tourist was killed and her partner seriously injured by a shark while swimming off a national park north of Sydney.
The community is now on high alert as authorities work to assess the ongoing risk and determine when it will be safe to reopen the popular beaches to the public.
