Â鶹ӰÊÓ

Skip to main content

Swimmer dies after being bitten by shark at Sydney beach

Little Bay Beach in Sydney, Australia, where the fatal shark attack took place. (Don Arnold/Getty Images via CNN) Little Bay Beach in Sydney, Australia, where the fatal shark attack took place. (Don Arnold/Getty Images via CNN)
Share

A swimmer has died after being bitten by a at a beach in Sydney, Australia, authorities have said.

New South Wales (NSW) Police said in a statement Wednesday that emergency services were called to Buchan Point, Malabar -- where the Little Bay Beach is located -- at around 4:35 p.m. local time "after receiving a report that a shark attacked a swimmer in the water."

According to the statement, officers who attended the scene, alongside Marine Area Command and Surf Life Saving NSW, found "human remains" in the water.

Four ambulance crews and a rescue helicopter with a critical care doctor and paramedic were dispatched to the area, NSW Ambulance told CNN in a statement.

"Unfortunately, this person had suffered catastrophic injuries as a result of the attack and there was nothing paramedics could do when we arrived on scene," NSW Ambulance inspector Lucky Phrachanh said.

Little Bay Beach and the surrounding beaches have been closed for 24 hours, Randwick City Council said. The council added that it is the first fatal shark attack in Randwick City in recent memory.

Randwick mayor Dylan Parker said in a statement: "The coast is our community's backyard. Little Bay is normally such a calm, beautiful place enjoyed by families.

"To lose someone to a shark attack like this is chilling. We are all in shock. Our entire community's hearts go out to the family of the victim."

NSW Police said they will be liaising with the Department of Primary Industry to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death of the swimmer.

Police said a report will be prepared for the coroner.

Australia ranked behind only the United States in the number of unprovoked shark encounters with humans in 2021, .

The museum describes "unprovoked bites" as incidents in which a bite on a human takes place in the shark's natural habitat with no human provocation of the shark. "Provoked bites" are classified as when a human initiates interaction with a shark in some way.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

The British Columbia election campaign is set to officially start today, with Lt.-Gov. Janet Austin issuing the writ for the Oct. 19 vote.

A northern Ontario man is facing a $12,000 fine after illegally shooting a moose near the Batchawan River.

Unusual flippered feet are making their way into the Saint Lawrence River this weekend. Led by underwater explorer and filmmaker Nathalie Lasselin, volunteer divers are combing the riverbed near Beauharnois in Montérégie to remove hundreds of tires that have been polluting the aquatic environment for decades.

A sea lion swam free after a rescue team disentangled it near Vancouver Island earlier this week.

Local Spotlight

Cole Haas is more than just an avid fan of the F.W. Johnson Wildcats football team. He's a fixture on the sidelines, a source of encouragement, and a beloved member of the team.

Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.

An anonymous business owner paid off the mortgage for a New Brunswick not-for-profit.

They say a dog is a man’s best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.

A growing group of brides and wedding photographers from across the province say they have been taken for tens of thousands of dollars by a Barrie, Ont. wedding photographer.

Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.

The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is celebrating an important milestone in the organization's history: 50 years since the first women joined the force.

It's been a whirlwind of joyful events for a northern Ontario couple who just welcomed a baby into their family and won the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot last month.