A surfer has been rushed to hospital with serious injuries following a shark attack at Point Plomer on New South Wales' Mid North Coast. This alarming incident represents the fourth such attack to occur in less than 48 hours along the state's coastline, prompting widespread beach closures and concern.
A Spate of Attacks Along the Coast
The latest victim was attacked near Crescent Head on Tuesday morning. According to reports from surfers camping at the popular break, a group of four bull sharks was seen in the water prior to the incident. The shark bit through the man's wetsuit and took a chunk out of his surfboard. A witness then transported the injured man to Kempsey Hospital for emergency treatment.
In response to the attack, authorities have closed beaches from Queens Head to Big Hill as a precautionary measure. This event followed another serious attack just hours earlier at North Steyne Beach on Sydney's Northern Beaches. On Monday evening at approximately 6.20pm, a 27-year-old man was dragged from the water by quick-thinking beachgoers who administered first aid until paramedics arrived.
Critical Condition and Peak Season Warnings
The man from North Steyne was treated on the sand by first responders before being rushed to Royal North Shore Hospital in a critical condition. Shark biologists from the primary industries department examined a 15cm bite mark on the young surfer's board and suggested the attacker was most likely a bull shark. North Steyne Beach is expected to remain closed for the next 48 hours.
Experts have noted that this cluster of attacks aligns with the peak season for bull sharks in the Sydney area, which typically runs between January and February. The incident at North Steyne marked the third shark attack within a 26-hour period.
Earlier Incidents Involving Youngsters
The series of attacks began on Monday morning when an 11-year-old boy was thrown from his surfboard by a large shark, also believed to be a bull shark, at Dee Why Point. The predator took several bites out of his board. Notably, the shark net had been deployed as normal on Dee Why Beach, which was officially closed at the time due to large swells and dangerous surf conditions.
This attack was preceded by another on Sunday afternoon around 4.20pm off Shark Beach in Vaucluse. A 12-year-old boy was bitten while swimming with friends at a popular jump rock located to the west of the beach, outside the netted swimming area. His friends assisted him to shore. It is believed he too was attacked by a large bull shark.
The sequence of events saw a 12-year-old boy, an 11-year-old boy, and a man in his twenties all targeted within a 25-hour period on Sunday and Monday, before the fourth attack occurred on Tuesday on the Mid North Coast.
