In brief
At Coogee Beach in Sydney, a 35‑year‑old woman was bitten by a shark, sustaining serious arm and leg injuries. First‑aid volunteers rescued her from the water and emergency services airlifted her to hospital by helicopter. Several nearby beaches were closed as a precautionary measure. The incident adds to a series of shark attacks across Australia, where authorities maintain heightened protection measures at popular surfing spots.
At around 8:00 a.m. on Saturday, emergency services were summoned to Coogee Beach in Eastern Sydney after a shark attack was reported. Police said a 35‑year‑old woman was pulled from the water by members of the public who commenced first aid before authorities arrived.
The victim suffered serious injuries to her arm and leg, and was promptly airlifted to the nearest hospital by helicopter. As a precaution, several nearby beaches were closed while officials assessed the risk to swimmers and surfers.
Byline: "I saw a massive pool of blood in the water, then a woman was being pulled in, and a ski paddler tried to bring her back," eyewitness Nicola Logan told Reuters. She described frantic splashing before the rescuer arrived.
The attack comes amid a string of recent shark incidents in Australia, including a male diver’s death near Perth last week and the fatal shark attack on a father of two earlier in May. Although Australia’s long coastline sees more shark encounters than many other nations, most attacks are not fatal.
Since 1791, nearly 1,300 shark attacks have been recorded in Australia, with 260 deaths. Popular swimming and surfing spots employ a range of protective measures such as netting, beach patrols and public awareness programs to mitigate risks.
Image Source: Reuters
