Nico Antic: Boy, 12, who suffered catastrophic injuries to both his legs in horror Nielsen Park shark attack is identified – as police share update
A 12-year-old boy who was attacked by a shark in Sydney Harbor has been identified as a talented football player; Relatives said he suffered catastrophic injuries.
Nico Antic, 12, He was mauled by a suspected bull shark as he jumped into the water from a six-metre rock ledge at Nielsen Park in Sydney’s eastern suburbs about 4.20pm on Sunday.
Both of his legs were seriously injured in the attack, and he survived thanks to one of his five companions jumping in and dragging him onto a rock platform while the predator was swimming nearby.
Our loved ones have now confirmed that Nico’s injuries were catastrophic.
On Tuesday, family friend Victor Pineiro held a fundraiser to help the family cover expenses.
‘Nico was attacked by a shark in Sydney Harbor on Sunday and suffered life-threatening injuries,’ he said, describing it as the ‘worst possible outcome’.
NSW Police confirmed to the Daily Mail on Tuesday afternoon that Nico was alive and in hospital.
Goal Football Academy in Rose Bay wrote on social media that Nico had been playing with them for seven years.
12-year-old Nico Antic was attacked by a bull shark while swimming with five friends at Nielson Park on Sunday afternoon.
Nico Antic was a talented football player who represented his club in international tournaments.
Police transported Nico to Rose Bay Pier before CareFlight flew him to Children’s Hospital
‘Nico has been part of the Goal family for seven years, he is a talented and dedicated athlete,’ the football club said.
The academy also said Nico had represented the club in tournaments, including the Sydney International Cup.
Trish, another family friend, shared the link to the fundraiser on Facebook with the caption: ‘My heart hurts.’
A third family friend said: ‘Please donate. ‘This is a family I know and they are going through an unimaginably difficult time.’
Nico is the first victim of four shark attacks off the coast of NSW in the past three days.
On Monday, an 11-year-old boy encountered another shark that took a huge bite out of his surfboard at Dee Why near Manly in Sydney’s northern suburbs.
That same evening, 27-year-old Andre de Ruyter was attacked by a bull shark while surfing in Sydney’s northern suburb of Manly.
The man was seriously injured in his leg and was taken to hospital.
Picture: Andre de Ruyter attacked by a shark in Manly
Image: Map of shark attacks off the NSW coast between Sunday and Tuesday
A 39-year-old man was attacked at Point Plomer on the NSW Mid North Coast on Tuesday.
The shark bit the man’s wetsuit and took a piece of his board. He was reported to have gone to Kempsey District Hospital.
Police have warned people not to swim in murky and low-visibility water after a downpour drenched Sydney and surrounding areas at the weekend.
Inspector Joseph McNulty said extra fresh water in the harbor after recent heavy rain, combined with the splash effect created by people jumping from cliffs, created the ‘perfect storm’ for Sunday’s shark attack.
“I would advise against swimming in the harbor or any of our other river systems in NSW at this time,” he told reporters before the Dee Why incident was reported.
Heavy waves also prevented the operation of smart barrel lines, which have been alerting authorities to shark activity along much of the NSW coast since Sunday.
