A day of cliff-jumping at a popular Sydney swimming spot ended in tragedy Sunday when a 12-year-old boy was mauled by a shark and left fighting for his life. The child was with friends at Shark Beach in the affluent suburb of Vaucluse, leaping from a rock ledge about 20 feet high, when he was attacked. Authorities say he suffered severe injuries to both legs and was pulled from the water unconscious by his friends, whose quick response was credited with giving him a chance of survival, per the BBC. New South Wales Marine Area Commander Joseph McNulty called the boys' actions "nothing but brave," while state Premier Chris Minns publicly praised the group for doing "everything possible" to help.
Marine police arriving on scene described a "horrendous" situation. Officers lifted the boy onto a police speedboat, applied tourniquets to stem heavy bleeding, and performed resuscitation efforts while racing to meet an ambulance at a nearby wharf. The boy is now hospitalized in critical condition, per the Sydney Morning Herald. Officials believe the attacker was a bull shark, a species known to inhabit warm, shallow, often murky waters and considered among the more dangerous to humans. McNulty said recent heavy rainfall likely created brackish conditions and washed nutrients into the harbor, a combination he described as a "perfect storm" that can draw sharks closer to shore.
Despite its ominous name, Shark Beach is a well-frequented swimming area where shark encounters are uncommon. Australia, however, remains one of the world's deadliest countries for shark attacks, recording at least five fatalities last year. One day after Sunday's attack, a man in his 20s was bitten by a shark at Sydney's Manly Beach, leaving him in critical condition, while an 11-year-old surfer reported a shark biting his surfboard at Dee Why Beach, about three miles away, the Guardian reports. The younger male told the Manly Observer, "I'm physically fine but I'm obviously rattled."
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