A shark attack at Crowdy Bay on New South Wales’ east coast left a woman dead and a man seriously injured early Thursday, police said. The remote beach, about 280 kilometres north of Sydney, was the scene of the incident after emergency services received reports that two swimmers had been attacked.
Inspector Timothy Bayly said the pair, who were known to each other, went for a swim when the shark struck. Bystanders came to the victims’ aid before paramedics arrived; State Ambulance Inspector Joshua Smyth described 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 species of shark involved.
According to Australia’s national Shark-Incident Database, the country recorded three fatal shark attacks in the first half of 2025. Since 1791 there have been more than 1,280 recorded shark incidents around Australia, resulting in over 250 deaths. In a separate incident in September, a surfer was fatally injured off the coast of Sydney.