Shark Attack Leaves 13-Year-Old Boy Fighting for Life After Assault Near Sydney Beaches. A teenager is currently fighting for his life after being attacked by a shark while swimming at Nielsen Park's Shark Beach in eastern Sydney.
The 13-year-old boy was pulled from the water by NSW Water Police officers around 4:20pm on Sunday afternoon, and they immediately applied two medical tourniquets to his legs due to severe injuries. Initially treated onboard a police vessel, he received first aid and was then transported to nearby Rose Bay wharf for further treatment by paramedics.
The severity of the boy's wounds is believed to be consistent with a shark attack, leading authorities to close the beach and warn swimmers away from the area. However, officials have noted that the damaged shark net at Nielsen Park had recently been repaired in early December following massive swells in April 2025.
In recent months, Australia has experienced an alarming rise in fatal shark attacks. A 57-year-old man was killed by a shark on Sydney's northern beaches last September, while a Swiss tourist died after being bitten by a bull shark at Kylies beach near Crowdy Bay National Park in November.
A local swimmer in her 50s also suffered severe injuries from a suspected bull shark attack at Gunyah beach near Bundeena, the southern shore of Sydney. The latest incident has sparked renewed fears for public safety around Australia's coastline.
The 13-year-old boy was pulled from the water by NSW Water Police officers around 4:20pm on Sunday afternoon, and they immediately applied two medical tourniquets to his legs due to severe injuries. Initially treated onboard a police vessel, he received first aid and was then transported to nearby Rose Bay wharf for further treatment by paramedics.
The severity of the boy's wounds is believed to be consistent with a shark attack, leading authorities to close the beach and warn swimmers away from the area. However, officials have noted that the damaged shark net at Nielsen Park had recently been repaired in early December following massive swells in April 2025.
In recent months, Australia has experienced an alarming rise in fatal shark attacks. A 57-year-old man was killed by a shark on Sydney's northern beaches last September, while a Swiss tourist died after being bitten by a bull shark at Kylies beach near Crowdy Bay National Park in November.
A local swimmer in her 50s also suffered severe injuries from a suspected bull shark attack at Gunyah beach near Bundeena, the southern shore of Sydney. The latest incident has sparked renewed fears for public safety around Australia's coastline.
13-year-old kid fighting for life, and we're all like "oh no" while sipping our flat whites. Can't say it's the first shark attack in Sydney, though - last month someone got eaten on Kylies beach... I mean, who needs a beach vacation when you can just become a mid-morning snack for a bull shark? 
Shark attacks are just a reminder that nature can be unforgiving and we need to respect its power. This 13-year-old boy is lucky to have made it out alive, but his family and loved ones must be going through an unimaginable struggle right now. 
It's heartbreaking to think about what could've happened if those medical tourniquets hadn't been applied on time.
.
can't blame them tho sydney beaches r already super sketchy especially with all these shark attacks happenin lately ... i mean we gotta be careful out there but like a medical tourniquet on his leg? that's wild 
what if it didn't work? authorities need to do more 2 prevent these incidents from happenin in the future 
what's going on in our country?! 
first of all, can't they do something about those shark nets? I mean, they're supposed to be safe zones right? And what's with the timing of this incident? Early December the net was fixed and now there's another attack... it's just too much! 
we need to make our beaches safer for everyone, especially kids 
they deserve better than to have their lives put on hold by a wild animal 
still can't believe how many fatal attacks are happening here in Australia lately... 3 deaths in one year? it's just too many 
, who knows what's gonna happen next? 
. It's like we're playing a game of whack-a-mole with sharks.
The stats are insane though - fatal shark attacks on the rise in Australia and we can't just ignore it. We should probably start talking about this more and coming up with solutions rather than just being like "oh no, another bad thing happened".
and respect the ocean 
. And now they're closing the beach for like, weeks? That's gonna kill the whole local economy 
. I'm not saying sharks are all the problem but come on Australia! You guys love your beaches and surfing... can't you find a way to coexist with these creatures? 
. The fact that the shark net was fixed just a few weeks ago is definitely weird... like, how do sharks even deal with that kinda thing? 
I remember when I was a kid my dad would always take me to the beach on Sundays and we'd spend hours playing in the waves ... now it sounds like those days might be behind us because of sharks 
. I mean, Australia is such a beautiful place with amazing beaches, but you've gotta respect those powerful creatures, you know? 
We need to be careful out there in the water, no question about it.
It's not like they're not prepared - that shark net at Nielsen Park was all fixed up last month. What are the chances it would get damaged again?!