Aussie Man Killed in Shark Attack off Sydney Beach

Aussie Man Killed in Shark Attack off Sydney Beach
A Great White Shark in a file photo. (Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)
Steve Milne
2/16/2022
Updated:
2/16/2022

Several Sydney beaches have been closed after a swimmer was fatally attacked by what was believed to be a great white shark at Buchan Point between Little Bay Beach and Malabar Beach on Wednesday.

Emergency services responded to reports that a swimmer had been attacked by a shark at the location around 4.30 p.m., after which rescue crews found human remains in the water.

A witness told 9News that what he believed to be a 4.5-metre great white shark attacked the swimmer vertically, and the splash was so huge that it looked like a car had landed in the water.

“It was really bad,” he said.

Another witness told Today that out of nowhere, something launched out of the water.

“It was just a big shark, in the air, totally airborne, hit the guy very, very quick,” he said.

“We realised it was a shark attack on a swimmer just ten metres off the rocks. We couldn’t do anything about it.”

The swimmer is yet to be identified, and search crews, with the assistance of lifeguards, are still looking for the shark and further remains.

Randwick beaches Little Bay, Malabar, Maroubra, Coogee, Clovelly, and La Perouse, as well as Waverly beaches Bronte, Tamarama, and Bondi, will remain closed on Thursday as the search continues.

Randwick Mayor Dylan Parker said the local community is in shock.

“The coast is our community’s backyard. Little Bay is normally such a calm, beautiful place enjoyed by families,” he said

“To lose someone to a shark attack like this is chilling. Our entire community’s hearts go out to the family of the victim.”

Parker noted that this is the first fatal shark attack in the Randwick City Council area in recent memory, the last one occurring at Maroubra Beach in 1935, according to Shark Attack Data. A great white was also responsible for that attack.

The last fatal shark attack in Sydney was at Sugarloaf Bay in Middle Harbour back in 1963. The person was wading when attacked, and the shark was believed to be either a bull shark or whaler.

The next most recent attack was in 1960 when a freediver was attacked by a bull shark also in Middle Harbour, not far from where the 1963 attack occurred.

Steve is an Australian reporter based in Sydney covering sport, the arts, and politics. He is an experienced English teacher, qualified nutritionist, sports enthusiast, and amateur musician. Contact him at [email protected].
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