MELBOURNE, Australia — A swimmer is fighting for her life after being mauled by a shark at one of Sydney’s most frequented beaches on Saturday morning.
The victim, thought to be in her thirties, sustained severe injuries to her leg and arm during the attack that occurred at 11:15 a.m. near Coogee Beach, authorities reported.
Since mid-May, three individuals engaged in spearfishing have lost their lives to shark attacks along Australia’s coastline, pushing this year’s death toll to four.
Data from the Australian Shark Incident Database, a collaborative effort between the Taronga Conservation Society Australia, Flinders University and the New South Wales state government, shows the country typically experiences two to three deadly shark encounters annually since 2000.
According to police reports, the woman was swimming when the attack occurred on Saturday. Good Samaritans rescued her from the water and began emergency care on shore until medical personnel could respond.
Emergency crews transported the injured swimmer to a nearby rugby field, where a helicopter airlifted her to a medical facility. Authorities continue to list her condition as critical.
Just one week prior, Daniel Turpin, 35, lost his life to a 4.5-meter (15-foot) white shark while spearfishing with relatives near Michaelmas Island, close to the port city of Albany in Western Australia state.
On May 24, spearfishing enthusiast Michael Jensz, 39, died from severe head trauma following an attack at the Great Barrier Reef along Australia’s northeastern waters. Bull sharks had been spotted in the area.
Seven days before that incident, on May 16, Steve Mattabonni, 38, was killed by a four-meter (13-foot) white shark while spearfishing near Perth, Western Australia.
The country’s first shark fatality of the year happened in January, when a 12-year-old boy succumbed to injuries sustained from a bull shark attack in Sydney Harbor.
Australia documented five deadly shark attacks in the previous year. Such incidents have increased over recent decades as population growth coincides with rising participation in water activities like surfing and scuba diving.
