A woman was killed and a man was seriously injured in a shark attack Thursday at Crowdy Bay on Australia’s east coast, New South Wales police said.
Emergency services were called early in the morning to the remote beach, about 280 kilometers (174 miles) north of Sydney, after reports that a shark had attacked two swimmers. Inspector Timothy Bayly said the pair were known to each other and had gone for a swim when the shark struck.
Bystanders assisted both victims before paramedics arrived. State ambulance inspector Joshua Smyth described the actions of those who helped as “very heroic.” The man, believed to be in his 20s, was airlifted to hospital in critical condition. The woman, also believed to be in her 20s, died at the scene.
Authorities closed the beach and surrounding areas while experts work to identify the shark species involved.
Australia recorded three fatal shark attacks in the first half of 2025, according to the national Shark-Incident Database. Since 1791 there have been more than 1,280 shark incidents around Australia, resulting in over 250 deaths. In September, a surfer was fatally injured off the coast of Sydney.
Edited by Karl Sexton