Two European backpackers who were holidaying in Australia were attacked by a shark in an incident that took place on the NSW Mid North Coast, killing one of them and critically injuring the other.
As reported by 9 News, at about 6.30 a.m. emergency services were called to a beach at Crowdy Bay near Port Macquarie – an unpatrolled beach known to be a shark hotspot.
Bystanders from a nearby campsite rendered aid to the victims before paramedics arrived a female victim, believed to be aged in her 20s, succumbed to her injuries. The woman's boyfriend, a man also aged in his 20s, was airlifted to John Hunter Hospital with serious injuries. NSW Ambulance said the man was in critical but stable condition.
Ambulance Superintendent Joshua Smyth praised a bystander who applied a makeshift tourniquet to the man's leg, saying they "potentially saved his life." A source told Sky News that the couple was swimming with dolphins when they were attacked by a bull shark.
Multiple beaches have been closed, with Surf Life Saving working to secure signage to let beach-goers know ahead of an anticipated hot weekend. There will be extra surveillance at patrolled beaches on the weekend. It's not known when the closed beaches will be reopened, though it is believed it could be for at least a few days.
Surf Life Saving NSW chief executive Steven Pearce told 2GB the association was sending up surveillance drones and personnel to support police and the Department of Primary Industries.
"These incidents are horrific for everyone, and unfortunately we've had a few this year," he said. "This area, it's just so remote, you know, there's no lifeguarding service up there at all."
In a press conference today, NSW Surf Rescue's James Turner said the tragic incident was a reminder of the risks people face when they go swimming on non-patrolled beaches. "This is in a nice, secluded area where people go to swim, we want them to be aware of the risk in non-patrolled locations," he said.
