A surfer has sustained minor injuries after being bitten by a shark off the coast of New South Wales, marking the fourth such incident in just three days along Australia's populous east coast.
Latest Attack Details and Response
The attack occurred at Point Plomer, approximately 460 kilometres north of Sydney, around 9 a.m. on Tuesday, 20 January 2026. Officials confirmed the shark targeted the man's surfboard.
Matt Worrall, captain of the Kempsey-Crescent Head Surf Life Saving Club, stated the 39-year-old man was fortunate to escape with only minor cuts. "The board seemed to take most of the impact," Worrall told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. "He made his own way into shore where he was assisted by locals."
Bystanders drove the surfer to a nearby hospital, from which he was later discharged. The isolated beach where this attack happened did not have protective shark netting installed.
A Spate of Serious Incidents in Sydney
This latest event follows three serious shark attacks in the Sydney area over the preceding two days:
- Sunday: A 12-year-old boy was critically injured after jumping from a ledge known as Jump Rock near Shark Beach inside Sydney Harbour. Reports indicate he lost both legs. Police praised his friends for their brave actions in dragging him to safety.
- Monday, around noon: An 11-year-old boy on a surfboard at Dee Why Beach had a chunk bitten out of his board by a shark. He escaped physically unharmed.
- Monday, 6:20 p.m.: A surfer in his 20s was bitten on the leg off North Steyne Beach in Manly. Bystanders pulled him from the water, and he was taken to hospital in a critical condition.
All three Sydney beaches involved have some form of shark protection netting, though it remains unclear if the attacks happened inside or outside these barriers.
Beaches Closed Amid Heightened Shark Risk
In response to the cluster of attacks, beaches along the New South Wales northern coast and northern Sydney have been closed indefinitely. Authorities have deployed electronic drumlines off the Sydney coast to alert them when large sharks take bait.
Surf Life Saving NSW chief executive Steve Pearce issued a stark warning, linking recent heavy rainfall to the increased danger. "We have such poor water quality that’s really conducive to some bull shark activity," Pearce said. Bull sharks are responsible for most attacks around Sydney.
"If you're thinking about going for a swim, just go to a local pool because at this stage, we’re advising that beaches are unsafe," Pearce added.
The recent incidents have cast a shadow over the region, coming months after a fatal attack on a 57-year-old surfer near Dee Why in September and the death of a Swiss tourist north of Sydney in November.
