A teenage boy is in critical condition after being attacked by a shark in the Sydney Harbour shortly after jumping off a rock.
Emergency services were called to the city's east to reports of a shark attack around 4.20pm on Sunday. The boy was pulled out of the water after his heroic friends jumped in to save him near Shark Beach, police said.
Water Police officers attached two medical tourniquets before administering first aid on board a police vessel. The teenager was taken by boat to nearby Rose Bay Wharf, where he was treated by NSW Ambulance paramedics for serious leg injuries sustained in the attack.
A short time later, he was transported by road to Sydney Children's Hospital, where the teen remains in a critical condition.
A 'Horrendous' Scene
Water Police Superintendent Joseph McNulty called the scene "horrendous" after tourniquets were applied to both the boy's legs to stop the bleeding.
"That young boy was unconscious at the time. He had been bitten by a large shark. And what I can say - the actions of his mates who have gone into the water to pull him out have been - had been nothing but brave," he told a press conference. "It was a horrendous scene at the time when police attended.
McNulty Suspects it was a Bull Shark
"We believe it was something like a bull shark that attacked the lower limbs of that boy yesterday," Superintendent Joseph McNulty said, linking the mauling to "the combination of the brackish water, the fresh water, the actions of the splashing" from boys jumping off a popular 6m rock at Vaucluse after heavy weekend rain.
"(it) may have made that perfect storm environment for that shark attack yesterday."
"But thankfully what I can say - that boy is fighting for his life now. He's surrounded by his family and friends. He's in intensive care unit at Randwick Children's Hospital."
"The injuries are consistent with what is believed to have been a large shark," police said in a statement. The incident happened near Nielsen Park and Shark Beach, a popular swimming spot for families that has a netted area in Sydney Harbour.
Another Teen Surfer Attacked Less than 24 Hours Later
As reported by 9News, a day after the shark attack on the city's east side, a suspected bull shark bit an 11-year-old boy's surfboard on Sydney's Northern Beaches. Authorities said a shark took an estimated 15cm chunk out of the boy's surfboard at the netted Dee Why Beach, near Dee Why Point, about 11.45am today.
The boy, who was helped by lifesavers, managed to walk away from the close encounter unscathed. The NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development said photo analysis of the bite mark suggested it was likely from a bull shark.
