A surfer has made it safely ashore after a collision with a shark at Cabarita Beach on the north coast of New South Wales. As 7NEWS Australia reported on September 28, 2026, 53-year-old Matthew Devine was rammed by the animal and thrown from his surfboard into the water.
Devine paddled back to shore
According to the broadcaster’s description, Devine managed to paddle ashore. It does not mention a bite or injuries. The report describes a direct collision with the shark, rather than simply a sighting near the surfer.
Despite the encounter, Devine intends to return to surfing within days, 7NEWS reports. The published video description does not establish exactly when the incident happened. September 28 is the report’s publication date.
Bull shark suspected, species unconfirmed
7NEWS describes the animal as a suspected bull shark. The video description provides neither expert confirmation of the species nor a reliable size estimate. This suspicion therefore does not establish the shark’s identity.
A separate incident from the 2025 board bite
The broadcaster describes the encounter as the third shark incident at Cabarita Beach in 15 months. It refers to a teenager injured in June 2025 and another surfer whose board was bitten two months later.
Haitauchen has already reported on the surfboard bitten in August 2025. The newly reported encounter involving Matthew Devine is a separate incident. Without comparable incident records and water-use data, these individual events do not establish a change in risk.