A 12-year-old boy has died in hospital after being attacked by a shark in Sydney Harbour, his family has confirmed. Nico Antic was bitten on both legs at a harbour beach in Vaucluse on 18 January and had been in a critical condition since.
In a statement on Saturday, his parents Lorena and Juan said: 'We are heartbroken to share that our son, Nico, has passed away. Nico was a happy, friendly, and sporty young boy with the most kind and generous spirit.' They thanked first responders and staff at Sydney Children's Hospital, Randwick.
Nico was a member of the North Bondi Surf Life Saving Club's Nippers program and had been swimming outside a shark net near Shark Beach at Nielsen Park when a bull shark is believed to have attacked him. Friends rushed to help, with one pulling him to safety.
The attack was the first of four shark bites on the New South Wales coast in 48 hours, including incidents at Dee Why, Manly, and Point Plomer. Experts linked the spike to intense rainfall flushing dirty water onto the coast. Nearly 30 Sydney beaches were closed, and swimming events were cancelled.
A GoFundMe page raised nearly $240,000 for the family. Tributes included one from Kate Barley, whose son Khai Cowley was killed by a shark in 2023. NSW police are preparing a report for the coroner.
