Sydney Harbour shark attack: police warn against swimming and say heavy rain created ‘perfect storm’ before boy bitten | Sydney

A 12-year-old boy is preparing for the “fight of his life” after he was attacked by a large shark while swimming in Sydney Harbor on Sunday afternoon.

New South Wales police said the boy jumped from a popular rock ledge near Nielsen park in Sydney’s east around 4.20pm on Sunday, and the attack was likely carried out by a bull shark.

The boy’s friends of similar ages rushed to help him; at least one of them jumped into the water to pull him to safety.

Supt Joe McNulty, commander of NSW police’s maritime area command, praised his fellows for their quick response.

“The actions of his friends who got into the water and pulled him out were just brave,” said McNulty, praising emergency responders.

“All I can say is that the actions between the police… the CPR team at the time were outstanding. It was a textbook recovery to give this kid a fighting chance to survive. He is now facing the fight of his life and the actions of the emergency services yesterday gave him that chance.”

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A nearby police speedboat responded within minutes and a police officer applied a double tourniquet to both of the boy’s legs to stop the bleeding. Officers performed CPR as the child was taken by boat to nearby Rose Bay, where ambulance crews were waiting to take him to hospital.

The man, who was injured in both legs, remained in critical condition.

The Department for Primary Industries has not yet confirmed which species of shark was involved, but police officials said it was a “large” animal.

Sydney Harbor is brackish water, meaning it contains a mixture of salt and freshwater, which can worsen visibility, McNulty said.

After heavy rain over the weekend, officials believe the quality of the water, as well as splashes from people jumping off rocks into the water, “may have created the perfect storm environment for a shark attack,” he said.

“There’s a lot of fresh water in the harbor right now, brackish water so you can’t see the bottom,” he said. “So I would advise you not to swim there right now. It’s not a good time to swim.”

NSW SharkSmart confirmed beaches around Nielsen Park, including Shark Bay beach, remained closed following the incident.

Inspector Giles Buchanan of NSW ambulance said the tourniquet applied by officers shortly after the attack was “an absolutely life-saving intervention”. The official described the initial response to the attack as a “resuscitation situation” and stated that the child was unconscious when emergency officials first arrived.

The child had to be intubated to help him breathe.

“I think it was always touch-and-go,” Buchanan added. “It still is.”

Shark attacks in Sydney Harbor are rare, but do occur. In 2024, a woman in Elizabeth Bay was seriously injured when a bull shark bit her leg while she was taking a “short dive” from a pier near the shore.