Tragedy Strikes at Popular Beach
A young Swiss academic, identified as Livia Muhlheim, 25, has died after a horrific shark attack at an unpatrolled beach in New South Wales, Australia. The incident occurred on Thursday morning at Kylies Beach in Crowdy Bay, south of Port Macquarie.
Ms Muhlheim was swimming with her boyfriend, Lukas Schindler, 26, at approximately 6.30am when they were set upon by a three-metre bull shark. The area is known to be a notorious shark hotspot and was not being patrolled at the time of the attack.
Heroic Rescue Attempt
Moments before the attack, Ms Muhlheim had been using a GoPro camera to film a pod of dolphins. The shark bit her several times, resulting in the traumatic loss of her left arm. Mr Schindler, a recently qualified diving instructor, desperately fought the animal to protect his girlfriend.
Despite being bitten twice on the leg himself, Mr Schindler managed to scare the shark away. He then heroically carried Ms Muhlheim 50 metres to shore, where bystanders immediately began efforts to save her life.
Tragically, Ms Muhlheim succumbed to her injuries before paramedics could arrive on the scene.
Promising Lives Cut Short
The couple were both exceptionally fit and academically accomplished. Mr Schindler had recently completed the Sydney Marathon in under three hours in August and had just gained his Open Water Scuba Instructor certification.
He had also recently graduated with a Master of Arts degree from the University of Technology Sydney. Ms Muhlheim had completed her Master's in Accounting and Finance at the University of St.Gallen and had been hired by a financial consulting firm in 2024.
Both had worked together as Security Operators at the World Economic Forum and attended the prestigious 51st St. Gallen Symposium, an event for future leaders focusing on global security and climate action.
