A 12-year-old boy has died in hospital after being attacked by a shark in Sydney Harbour last weekend, his family has confirmed. Nico Antic was bitten on both legs on 18 January at a harbour beach in Vaucluse, in Sydney's east, 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. He was always full of life and that's how we'll remember him.' 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 programme and was awarded most improved for under-11 boys in 2024. He was swimming outside the shark net enclosure near Shark Beach at Nielsen Park when a bull shark is believed to have attacked him. Friends rushed to help, with at least one pulling him to safety.
NSW police confirmed a report will be prepared for the coroner. The incident was the first of four shark bites on the NSW coast in 48 hours, with others at Dee Why, Manly and Point Plomer. Experts linked the spike to intense rainfall flushing dirty water to the coast. Nearly 30 Sydney beaches were closed, but all reopened ahead of the long weekend, though Manly beach was closed again on Saturday after a shark sighting.
