Easterns suburbs beaches closed after fatal shark attack at Little Bay

By DANIEL LO SURDO

Waverley and Randwick Councils have closed their beaches for 24 hours following a fatal shark attack at Little Bay in Sydney’s south-east yesterday afternoon, with lifeguards set to patrol the closed beaches to “look for any further sightings of sharks”.

At about 4:30 pm yesterday, police received reports that a man had been attacked by a shark at Buchan Point, which is located between Little Bay Beach and Malabar Beach. NSW Ambulance Inspector Lucky Phrachanh said that “there was nothing paramedics could do” following the catastrophic injuries that the man had suffered, with police confirming at 6:00 pm that human remains in the water had been identified by officers.

It is the first fatal shark attack in Sydney since 1963 and follows a non-fatal attack at the nearby Congwong Beach in 2018.

“To lose someone to a shark attack like this is chilling. We are all in shock,” Randwick Mayor Dylan Parker said.

“The coast is our community’s backyard. Little Bay is normally such a calm, beautiful place enjoyed by families.

“Our entire community’s hearts go out to the family of the victim.”

It’s been estimated that the shark that attacked the man near Little Bay is between four and five metres in length, with SMART drumlines (technology that allows sharks to be intercepted beyond the surf break) being used to catch and relocate the animal involved.

Signage and barricades have been installed at the closed beaches to help warn people off swimming following the shark attack. Beaches from Bondi to La Perouse will be closed, while police and Surf Life Saving NSW had also directed the closures of beaches in the Sutherland Shire, including Cronulla, as an additional measure.

Double drowning

The fatal attack comes after a man in his 40s and his nine-year-old son both drowned at a popular rock fishing spot at Little Bay last month.

Emergency services were called to Little Bay in January following reports that the man and the boy had been swept off the rocks while fishing, with both dying at the scene after paramedics performed CPR. Lifesavers said that the man may have entered the water to rescue the child.

Randwick Council said that the fishing spots to the north and south of Little Bay are “sometimes dangerous”, with those rock fishing on Randwick Beaches without wearing a lifejacket from June 2018 subject to a $100 on-the-spot fine. It is unclear whether the man and the boy were rock fishing at the time.