A woman in her 20s has been seriously injured after being attacked by a shark during a sunset swim in Sydney Harbour. The incident took place near a private wharf in the suburb of Elizabeth Bay. Authorities believe that a bull shark is responsible for the attack, based on photographs of the bite marks.
The victim’s neighbor, Michael Porter, recounted hearing a “soft yell” for help outside his window at around 8:00 PM local time. When he looked outside, he saw the woman clinging to a ladder on the wharf. Her leg was completely open and bleeding profusely. Another local resident, who happens to be a veterinarian, applied a tourniquet to stop the bleeding.
Witnesses have reported regularly seeing sharks swimming under the jetty in the area. Sydney Harbour is known to be a habitat for bull sharks, although shark attacks in the region are rare. Notably, in 2009, former navy diver Paul de Gelder lost an arm and a leg in a bull shark attack during a counter-terrorism exercise in Sydney Harbour.
Australia has a higher number of shark attacks than any other country, second only to the United States. However, fatal attacks are uncommon. According to the Australian Shark-Incident Database, there were 14 shark attacks in 2023, four of which were lethal.
The woman has been taken to the hospital in a serious but stable condition. Authorities will continue to investigate the incident and take necessary precautions to ensure the safety of swimmers in the area.