Bull shark that killed Swiss tourist on NSW beach unlikely to lash out again, experts say | Sharks

The shark that attacked two people, killed a woman and injured her partner on a remote New South Wales coast is unlikely to pose an ongoing threat, experts say.

Police are currently reviewing GoPro footage from the scene, which may shed more light on how the incident happened.

A Swiss couple in their 20s were swimming at Kylies beach in Crowdy Bay national park at dawn on Thursday when a large bull shark attacked the woman and then the man who tried to save the woman.

Emergency services were called around 06.30.

The woman died at the scene, while the man was taken to John Hunter hospital in a stable condition, the hospital confirmed on Friday.

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NSW Ambulance mid-north coast inspector Kirran Mowbray told Nine’s Today program on Friday morning: “The shark attacked the female first and her partner did his best to get them both to shore and shout for help to a person who was there.”

Mowbray said the witness used his swimmers as a tourniquet and tied them to the man’s legs.

“It actually saved his life and saved him time before [paramedics] “We can get there,” he said.

Dr Brianna Le Busque, an environmental science and psychology researcher at the University of South Australia, said she was “shocked” when she heard about the double attack and knew it would immediately lead to comparisons to the movie Jaws.

“The really important thing is to wait until we know more,” he said. “Until then, this is a truly horrific event, but there is no indication that this shark will continue to bite people.

“The similarities to Jaws are so interesting, the idea that we need to ‘catch that shark now’ and we know that’s not an effective strategy.

“This shark probably felt particularly threatened, something happened, so it attacked twice.”

Scientists debate whether there is such a thing as a “problem shark” and warn against the lingering specter of the “monster” from Jaws.

Rob Harcourt, a professor emeritus of marine ecology at Macquarie University, said the double attack was “quite unusual” but could happen when sharks were hunting prey and trying to deter rivals.

The Swiss consul general confirmed in his statement that one Swiss citizen died and another was injured.

“We are in contact with local authorities and are providing support to the relatives within the framework of consular protection,” the statement said.

Surf Life Saving NSW chief executive Steven Pearce told 2GB radio the “truly horrific” incident occurred in a very remote area with no lifeguard services.

MidCoast mayor Claire Pontin “expressed her sadness at the loss of life and offered her condolences to the families involved.”

The Department for Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) has now installed five “smart” barrels at Kylies beach and the beach remains closed.

Drum lines send out alerts when sharks or other marine animals take your bait. The shark is then tagged, relocated 1 km offshore and tracked.

The ministry said it “expresses its sincere condolences to his family, friends and first responders at this tragic time” and said no sharks have been caught in barrels at Crowdy Bay or Port Macquarie in the north or Forster in the south since the incident, and no drone shark sightings have been observed.

“Based on forensic analysis, DPIRD shark scientists determined that a large bull shark over three meters long may have been involved,” the statement said.

NSW uses shark nets, helicopters and other technology such as “listening stations” to monitor sharks and prevent attacks, and beachgoers have been advised to follow the NSW SharkSmart app.

Meanwhile, other nearby NSW beaches were closed on Friday following numerous bull shark sightings, as well as bait ball sightings where schools of fish gather to form a defensive, tight mass to deter predators.

“Please continue to exercise caution if swimming or surfing due to increased shark activity, especially in light of the tragic fatal incident at Kylies Beach earlier today.” Port Macquarie Hastings ALS Lifeguards he said in a social media post.

In September, Mercury Psillakis was fatally mauled by a 12-foot great white at Long Reef beach in Sydney.

At the time, experts said there was an increase in shark bites because more people were using the water for a longer part of the year, among other factors such as climate change, habitat depletion, weather anomalies and prey distribution. But the death toll has not increased, thanks to faster emergency responses, tourniquet kits at surf lifesaving clubs and better first aid training.

Swimmers should be more cautious at dawn and dusk when bull and tiger sharks are more active, swim between flags on patrolled beaches and be aware of water conditions and safety signs or alarms, according to NSW’s SharkSmart advice.