Four shark attacks in 48 hours on Australia beaches: What we know so far
Four shark attacks within 48 hours at beaches across New South Wales, Australia, have heightened concerns among swimmers and surfers.
Two of the attacks have resulted in victims being hospitalized in critical condition, while the other two encounters involved people who were "lucky" to avoid serious injuries, News.Az reports, citing Australian media.
“If you’re thinking about going for a swim, just go to a local pool because at this stage, we’re advising that the beaches are unsafe,” said Steve Pearce, chief executive of Surf Life Saving NSW.
"It is in the forefront of everyone’s mind," he added, as authorities continue to monitor the situation closely.
Vaucluse
A 12-year-old boy was rescued from the water by mates near Shark Beach in Sydney's eastern suburbs about 4:20pm on Sunday.
The boy was part of a group jumping off a 6-metre rock ledge into "brackish" water.
NSW Police said his friends bravely retrieved him from the water and administered first aid before Marine Area Command officers put him on a boat and tended to his serious leg injuries within minutes of the Triple Zero (000) call being made.
The boy, a Surf Life Saving NSW nipper, was taken to the Children's Hospital at Randwick in a critical condition.
Recent shark attacks
Marine Area Command commander Superintendent Joseph McNulty said while it was a "textbook recovery", the boy was "in for the fight of his life".
Superintendent McNulty said heavy rainfall over the weekend may have contributed to the attack.
NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) was unable to confirm the species of the shark based on photographs of the injury, but based on the type of injury and the environmental conditions, they suspected the attack involved a bull shark.
Dee Why
A young surfer, believed to be an 11-year-old boy, managed to escape injury in a shark attack at nearby Dee Why Beach, just before lunchtime yesterday.
DPIRD said a "large" 15-centimetre bite was taken out of his surfboard and a preliminary assessment found a bull shark was likely responsible.
NSW Ambulance said it was not called to the scene.
Dee Why Beach had been closed for the last few days due to rough surf conditions.
North Steyne
Several hours later, bystanders pulled a surfer from the water at North Steyne Beach in Manly.
They administered first aid to the 27-year-old man before paramedics took him to Royal North Shore Hospital in a critical condition.
He suffered severe leg injuries.
Mr Pearce said first responders were confronted with a "traumatic and horrendous scene" and the quick response of fellow surfers had given him a good chance of survival after losing a lot of blood.
DPIRD said, based on an assessment of bite characteristics and the severity of his injuries, a bull shark was likely involved.
The murky water conditions made it hard for Life Saving NSW drones, and shark detection equipment was unable to identify any marine life at the beach at the time.
Swimmers were urged to stay out of the water until later in the week.
Point Plomer
A surfer on the NSW Mid North Coast escaped serious injury this morning after a shark took a bite out of his surfboard at Point Plomer.
The 39-year-old man was taken to Kempsey District Hospital to be treated for minor cuts and grazes.
Mr Pearce said the area was known to have shark activity and was isolated, not netted and there were no smart drumlines installed.
Kempsey-Crescent Head Surf Life Saving Club captain Matt Worrall said the surfer was lucky to escape with only minor injuries, with the surfboard taking "the impact".
Conditions ripe for more sharks
The spate of shark attacks is being attributed to ocean conditions that are favoured by sharks.
"Recent weather along the NSW coast continues to create conditions that significantly increase the likelihood of shark activity, especially bull sharks that are more active," a spokesperson from DPIRD said.
"Water conditions in the harbour are brackish following heavy rain and runoff, which can worsen visibility.
The state government is working with Northern Beaches Council and Surf Life Saving NSW in response to the cluster of attacks in Sydney's north.
All northern beaches have been closed for 48 hours.
Usually, 30 smart drumlines are placed in the water between Manly and Palm Beach, but four more have been deployed at North Steyne, Dee Why and Mona Vale.
Surf Life Saving said lifeguards were patrolling on jet skis, with drones and the Westpac Helicopter conducting surveillance.
"We're really not seeing more [shark attacks] than what we normally see," Mr Pearce said.
"It's just that, unfortunately, we've had this cluster of shark incidents here in the northern beaches, that follows last year's two fatal shark attacks.
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