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Nature and Environment

Shark kills surfer off Australian east coast

May 18, 2021

A 50-year-old man has died after being bitten by a shark near Forster, north of Sydney. The man was surfing when the attack took place.

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A silvertip shark swims next to coral in blue waters
The shark attack is the first fatal one recorded in Australian waters this yearImage: imago/OceanPhoto

A surfer died after being bitten by a shark off the Australian east coast, police said on Tuesday.

Emergency services rushed to Tuncurry Beach, more than 300 kilometers (186 miles) north of Sydney, where the 50-year-old man was attacked by a shark while surfing. 

"Despite the best efforts of paramedics and bystanders at the scene, the man could not be resuscitated," New South Wales Ambulance tweeted.

The man, whose name has not been disclosed, suffered critical injuries to his upper right thigh.

Tuesday's shark attack is the first fatal one recorded in Australian waters since November, when another surfer was killed near the northwest town of Broome.

According to government data, 26 such maulings took place in 2020, eight of which were fatal.

Officials are working to identify the species of the shark.

Meanwhile, authorities have closed off Tuncurry Beach and the neighboring Forster Main Beach.

dvv/nm (AFP, AP, Reuters)