Nico Antic update: Close family member breaks silence after 12-year-old was attacked by a shark in Sydney Harbour

A 12-year-old boy who was attacked by a shark in Sydney Harbor survives in hospital but is brain dead and will never wake up.

Nico Antic was injured 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 the rocks as the predator swam nearby.

The attack was the first in a series of four shark encounters to hit Australia’s most populous state in three days.

In separate incidents, a surfer suffered minor injuries at Point Plomer on Tuesday, another was seriously injured at Manly’s North Steyne Beach the day before, and an 11-year-old boy fell off his surfboard at Dee Why Beach but escaped unharmed.

Despite reports claiming Nico had died on Wednesday, a close family member confirmed to the Daily Mail that Nico was still alive.

Police also confirmed Nico’s condition at Sydney Children’s Hospital remained unchanged.

Nico Antic (pictured with his father) is alive in the hospital but will never wake up again

Picture: Emergency workers in Vaucluse, where Nico was bitten by a shark on Sunday

The relative said, ‘He is still sleeping, but he will not be able to do this because his brain is completely unresponsive.’ They said Nico was a talented athlete who always made people smile.

‘He’s a sporty kid and never fails to make people smile,’ they remembered.

‘Loved by his many friends and family.’

Family friend Victor Pineiro is a fundraiser on Tuesday 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’.

Friends on social media said Nico’s extended family lived abroad and they would have to travel to Australia to say goodbye.

Nico Antic is a talented athlete who represents the football club internationally.

Nico Antic (photo taken on the first day of school) is in critical condition in hospital

Goal Football Academy in Rose Bay wrote on social media that Nico had been playing with them for seven years.

‘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.

Luckily he wasn’t injured.

That same evening, 27-year-old Andre de Ruyter was attacked by a bull shark while surfing in Sydney’s northern suburb of Manly.

Footage shows beachgoers dragging him from the water and administering first aid before he was taken to the Royal North Shore Hospital, where he remained in a critical condition and required a large blood transfusion.

The man was seriously injured in his leg and was taken to hospital.

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.

Kempsey-Crescent Head Surf Life Saving Club captain Matt Worrall told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation: ‘The board seemed to bear most of the influence.

The man managed to reach shore and later went to hospital, where he was treated and released.