A man in his 20s is fighting for his life after being attacked by a shark at Manly Beach in Sydney’s north on Monday evening. The critically injured victim is receiving intensive care from paramedics following the third shark attack in the city in just two days.
New South Wales Ambulance officers responded to the incident and treated the man at the scene before he was rushed to Royal North Shore Hospital in a critical condition. All beaches on Sydney’s Northern Beaches have been closed until further notice as authorities investigate the attack.
The latest incident comes after an 11-year-old surfer had his board bitten by a shark at nearby Dee Why Beach earlier on Monday. Just a day prior, a 12-year-old boy was also attacked while swimming in Sydney’s east.
Police have urged the public not to swim in murky, low-visibility waters following heavy rainfall in the area over the weekend. The combination of increased freshwater in the harbour and the splashing effect of people jumping off a nearby rock face is believed to have created the “perfect storm” for the attacks.
Shark biologists suggest the bite marks on the young surfer’s board indicate the involvement of a bull shark. Authorities are working to identify the species responsible for the latest attack at Manly.
This string of incidents has reignited the debate around shark mitigation strategies in Australia. The state government had previously pulled a trial to remove shark meshing nets from popular beaches following the death of an avid surfer at Long Reef in 2024.
With beaches closed and the public urged to exercise caution, the New South Wales community is on high alert as officials work to understand the factors contributing to the recent spike in shark encounters along the Sydney coastline.