A man has died following an incident at Long Reef Beach in Sydney, where he was reportedly bitten by what authorities suspect to be a large shark. According to New South Wales police, emergency services responded to reports of critical injuries shortly after 10:00 AM local time on Saturday. Upon arrival, they retrieved the man from the surf, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
In the aftermath of the incident, two sections of a surfboard were recovered from the area and will be subjected to expert examination. This event has prompted multiple beach closures in the Northern Beaches region, a popular destination for both locals and tourists.
The victim has not yet been identified, and local police are collaborating with marine experts to ascertain the species of shark involved in the incident. This tragedy marks the latest fatality linked to sharks in Sydney; the last recorded death occurred in 2022 when a British diving instructor was killed by a great white shark. Prior to that, there had not been a fatal attack in the area since 1963.
In general, Australia experiences around 20 shark attacks annually, with the majority occurring in New South Wales and Western Australia. Historically, fatal shark bites are rare; the mortality rate over the last century has averaged less than one person per year due to shark encounters. As investigations continue, questions arise regarding shark behavior and safety measures in local waters.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy8r9p28yp7o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss