Key facts
- A woman in her 30s is in critical condition after a shark attack at Coogee Beach, Sydney.
- She sustained serious injuries to her arms and legs.
- Bystanders rescued the woman from the water and administered first aid.
- Coogee Beach and several other beaches were closed as a precaution.
- This incident is part of an unusual spate of shark attacks in Australia this year, with four fatalities reported prior to this event.
A woman in her 30s was critically injured off Coogee Beach in Sydney on Saturday after being attacked by a shark. Bystanders pulled her from the water and provided first aid before paramedics arrived. She sustained serious injuries to her legs and arms.
Coogee Beach and several other beaches along Sydney's eastern coast were closed as a precaution, with a shark-spotting helicopter and jetskis patrolling the waters. The victim was airlifted to a hospital, and police described her condition as critical.
This incident is the latest in an unusual spate of shark attacks in Australia this year. Prior to this event, four fatalities had been recorded. These include spearfishing diver Michael Jensz, who suffered fatal head injuries on May 24 off the Great Barrier Reef, and Steve Mattabonni, who was fatally mauled by a white shark off Western Australia on May 16. A 12-year-old boy also died in January after a bull shark attack in Sydney Harbor.
Australia has averaged between two and three fatal shark attacks annually since 2000. Scientists suggest that factors such as increasingly crowded waters and rising ocean temperatures may be contributing to sharks shifting their migratory patterns, leading to more encounters with humans.