Australian news outlets are reporting that a 60-year-old surfer from Queensland was bitten by a 10-foot shark in Northern New South Wales, Australia today and that the bite was fatal. Two surfers who were in the water at the time reportedly fought off the shark and got the man to shore where he was given first aid but died at the scene.
Paramedic Terry Savage told local media that the surfer’s injuries were “significant” and called the incident “very confronting”.
“Unfortunately there was nothing else we could do,” he said.
The paramedic said the two men who fought off the shark and helped the wounded surfer to shore were “amazing”.
“It was nothing short of heroic to get him to the beach,” he said.
There were conflicting reports on which species of shark attacked the man but it was suspected to be a great white. The attack occurred at Salt Beach in South Kingscliff. Local news outlets noted that this was at least the third fatal shark attack in Australia in 2020. A diver was killed in Western Australia near Esperance in January and a shark mauled a 23-year-old wildlife worker on the Great Barrier Reef in April. As of this reporting, the surfer had not been identified. Our thoughts go out to his family and friends.
