SYDNEY – A man has died after being attacked by a large shark while surfing at a popular Sydney beach on Saturday morning, a tragic incident that has sent shockwaves through the local community and prompted the immediate closure of a long stretch of the city's famed coastline.
Emergency services were called to Long Reef Beach on Sydney's Northern Beaches just after 10 a.m. following frantic reports of a surfer in distress. Surf Life Savers and paramedics rushed to the scene, pulling the man from the water with critical injuries to his legs and torso. Despite their extensive efforts to provide medical aid on the shore, the victim, who has not yet been formally identified, died at the scene.
"This was a catastrophic and devastating attack," a spokesperson for the New South Wales Ambulance service told reporters. "Paramedics and specialist medical teams were on-site, but tragically, the patient's injuries were too severe."
Witnesses described a chaotic and horrific scene. "Everyone was just enjoying the morning surf, and then there was just shouting and splashing," one local beachgoer said. "People were scrambling to get out of the water. It was terrifying."
New South Wales Police have cordoned off the area and have commenced an investigation. Officers confirmed they had retrieved two large sections of a surfboard from the water, which will be forensically examined by marine biologists from the Department of Primary Industries (DPI) to help identify the species and size of the shark responsible. While the species is unconfirmed, experts suggest that based on the location and the nature of the incident, it was likely a Great White or a large Bull Shark.
In the wake of the attack, authorities have taken immediate action to ensure public safety. All beaches along a significant portion of the Northern Beaches peninsula, from Long Reef to Dee Why and Collaroy, have been closed for at least 24 hours. Drones have been deployed for aerial surveillance, and alerts have been issued through the SharkSmart app, urging swimmers, surfers, and boaters to stay out of the water.
The death is the first fatal shark attack in Sydney since February 2022, when a swimmer was killed at Little Bay. That incident was the city's first such fatality in nearly 60 years, since 1963.
According to data from Sydney's Taronga Zoo, this marks the fourth fatal shark attack in Australia in 2025. In March, a surfer was killed in shallow water on a remote beach in Western Australia, adding to the country's grim tally.
As the community comes to terms with the tragedy, the incident serves as a stark reminder of the wild and unpredictable nature of the ocean, even at some of the world's most popular and heavily monitored beaches.
