A 57-year-old surfer was attacked by a large shark early Saturday morning off Long Reef Beach in northern Sydney. He lost both legs, and his surfboard was torn in half. Despite valiant rescue attempts, he died on the beach.
On 6 September 2025 at around 9:30 AM, the experienced surfer, a father, was attacked about 100 metres offshore. According to ABC News and the Associated Press, friends immediately pulled him from the water, but he succumbed to severe blood loss despite all resuscitation efforts.
“This is a tragic accident, something that happens very, very rarely,” said police spokesperson Stuart Thomson.
Authorities are currently examining the shattered board to determine the shark species. As The Sun reports, the species in the area are likely to be great white shark, tiger shark, or bull shark. Al Jazeera also points to these three potential species.
According to the Associated Press, authorities closed the beaches between Manly and Narrabeen and deployed helicopters, drones, and jet skis to locate the animal.
The The Guardian notes that this is the first fatal shark attack in New South Wales this year—and only the second in Sydney since 1963, following the incident in Little Bay in 2022.
