A 57-year-old man has died after being bitten by a large shark near Dee Why on Sydney's northern beaches, in what police have described as a 'great tragedy'. The incident occurred at Long Reef beach shortly after 10am on Saturday, with the victim, identified as Mercury Psillakis, being brought ashore by fellow surfers. He died at the scene from catastrophic injuries.
NSW Police Superintendent John Duncan said Psillakis, an experienced surfer from Dee Why, had been in the water for about half an hour when the shark attacked, resulting in the loss of several limbs. His body was later found floating in the surf. Psillakis leaves behind a wife and a young daughter, with the tragedy occurring on the eve of Father's Day.
Beaches between Manly and Narrabeen were closed pending further advice, and Surf Life Saving NSW cancelled all water activities for the weekend. Drone operators and lifeguards were deployed to scan for further shark activity, while police boats and helicopters patrolled the water. A section of the beach was cordoned off with police tape.
NSW Premier Chris Minns expressed condolences, noting that shark attacks are rare but leave a significant impact on the close-knit surfing community. This is believed to be the fourth fatal shark attack in Australian waters this year, and the first in NSW. The last fatal attack in Sydney occurred in February 2022, when a British diving instructor was killed by a great white off Little Bay.
Experts from the Department of Primary Industries will examine the recovered surfboard to determine the shark species involved. Professor Culum Brown from Macquarie University noted that while shark bites are extremely rare in Australia, the rate has slightly increased, possibly due to more people in the water or shifting shark distributions due to climate change.
