A young boy is fighting for his life in hospital after a horrific shark attack at a popular Sydney beach on Sunday afternoon. The child, believed to be around 12 years old, suffered severe injuries to both legs.
Details of the Harbour Attack
The incident occurred at the western end of Nielsen Park in Sydney's eastern suburbs, an area which includes the aptly named Shark Beach. The boy was reportedly jumping off a three-metre high rock ledge, locally known as 'jump rock', into Sydney Harbour when he was attacked.
Five other children who were with the boy bravely attempted to assist him in the water as horrified witnesses called emergency services. NSW Police’s Marine Area Commander, Superintendent Joe McNulty, confirmed the boy remains in the intensive care unit in a critical condition.
"He’s in for the fight of his life," Superintendent McNulty told Channel 7's Sunrise programme. "He’s undergone operations throughout the night at the Children’s Hospital at Randwick."
Bravery and Rapid Response
Superintendent McNulty praised the "extremely brave" actions of the boy's friends, who jumped into the murky water to save him. Conditions were dangerous, with the water described as "extremely brackish" due to recent heavy rainfall in Sydney.
"One of the boy’s mates jumped in to pull him from the water to the rock platform, which also helped save his life," McNulty stated. CPR was performed on the rock shelf and again on a police boat. This immediate action, combined with the application of two tourniquets, is believed to have prevented catastrophic blood loss.
Police responded within five minutes. A new police vessel manoeuvred directly to the rock platform, where Senior Constable John Morris jumped off carrying the vital tourniquets. "The double tourniquets were applied on the rock shelf... and they stemmed the bleeding, giving the boy a fighting chance," McNulty explained.
Race to Hospital and Harbour History
Due to the critical nature of his injuries, the boy was immediately evacuated onto the bow of the police boat. The vessel travelled at high speed to Rose Bay, where NSW Ambulance paramedics were waiting. He received over an hour of treatment from paramedics before being transported by road to Sydney Children's Hospital in Randwick around 6pm.
While paramedics worked, detectives cordoned off the rock ledge and water police began a search for the shark involved. Authorities, including Agriculture Minister Tara Moriarty, are working to confirm the species, though a bull shark is suspected.
This tragic event is believed to be only the fourth shark attack in Sydney Harbour in over 50 years. Notable previous incidents include the 2009 attack on navy diver Paul de Gelder, who lost a hand and part of a leg, and the fatal 1963 attack on actress Marcia Hathaway. More recently, in early 2024, swimmer Lauren O’Neill was bitten on the leg just a few kilometres west of Nielsen Park at Elizabeth Bay.
The community's thoughts are with the young victim and his family, as well as the other young people who witnessed the traumatic event.
