A husband and father has tragically died during a shark attack at Dee Why in Sydney’s Northern Beaches.
The attack occurred at around 10am today between Dee Why and Long Reef, with the body of the victim — said to be in his 50s — reportedly being brought to shore by members of the public.
Police said the man, an experienced surfer, was bitten by “what is believed to have been a large shark” while surfing with friends about 100 metres from the sand at Long Reef Beach.
The man’s surfboard was cut in two and he lost both legs. He leaves behind a wife and a young daughter.
Surf Life Saving NSW said the man was surfing with a group away from the patrolled area of the beach, north of Dee Why’s lifeguard tower.
He suffered critical injuries and tragically died at the scene, per The Sydney Morning Herald.
It’s reported that the two sections of his surfboard were recovered and taken for expert examination, with the Department of Primary Industries currently working to determine the species of the shark.
In the wake of the incident, police cordoned off Dee Why, which is popular among surfers, as well as entirely closing surrounding beaches stretching from Narrabeen to Manly as a precaution. Dee Why is expected to remain closed for 48 to 72 hours.
Police have also erected a tent at the beach, with footage showing a massive operation involving ambulance vehicles in the adjoining carpark and helicopters circling overhead.
A witness who spoke to the Daily Telegraph claimed “four or five surfers pulled [the victim] out of the water and it looked like a significant part of his lower half had been attacked”.
The witness said that as the attack was unfolding, police ran along the entire stretch of the beach urging swimmers to return to shore.
“I was sitting at the beach having a coffee and the shark alarm went off,” a second witness said. “Two minutes later, four ambulances turned up.”
Following the attack, Surf Life Saving NSW sent drones overhead to scan the water for “any signs of further shark activity”, it said in a statement (per SMH).
“Our deepest condolences go to the family of the man involved in this terrible tragedy,” Surf Life Saving NSW chief executive Steve Pearce said.
It’s understood a surfing competition, called the Wicks Northern Beaches Junior Teams Challenge, was being held at Long Reef at the time of the attack.
Inspector Stuart Thomson spoke of the tragedy at a press conference held earlier today.
“It’s a terrible, terrible thing. It’s one of those freak accidents that happens very, very rarely,” he said. “With tomorrow being Father’s Day, it’s particularly tragic.”
Dee Why is a shark-netted beach, and was one of 50 beaches between Wollongong and Newcastle to have a net installed on this past Monday, the first day of spring.
The last fatal shark attack in Sydney was in 2022, when diver Simon Nellist was attacked by a great white while in deep water off the rocks of Little Bay.
Lead images: Getty Images
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