Man believed to be in his 20s in critical condition after Manly shark bite

A man believed to be in his 20s is in a critical condition after being bitten by a shark at Manly beach in Sydney’s north on Monday evening, the third shark attack at Sydney beaches in two days. NSW Ambulance officers treated the man at the scene and he was taken to Royal North Shore hospital after members of the public pulled him from the water and commenced first aid, police said.

All beaches on the Northern Beaches have been closed until further notice and the closure will be reviewed on an ongoing basis, police said. Earlier on Monday an 11‑year‑old surfer at Dee Why had his board bitten several times, taking a chunk out of the mid‑section; the child was unharmed and was helped out of the water.

Northern Beaches council lifeguards sounded the alarm, put up shark warning signs and dispatched a jetski to patrol, and Surf Life Saving NSW launched a drone to assist. Shark biologists from the primary industries department said the 15cm bite mark on the young surfer’s board suggests the animal was most likely a bull shark, and the department is working to identify the species involved in the recent incidents.

The shark net had been set as normal on Dee Why, which was closed at the time because of large swells. The Manly attack occurred less than 24 hours after a 13‑year‑old boy was critically injured by a shark in Vaucluse; he underwent surgery and remained in critical condition at Randwick children’s hospital on Monday, police said.

Key Topics

World, Manly Beach, Northern Beaches, Dee Why, Vaucluse, Bull Shark