Woman critical, city beaches shut after shark mauling

Many city beaches remained closed to riders and swimmers after a woman was seriously injured when she was mauled by a shark up to 4 meters long.

The attack took place just meters from shore and among the flags at Sydney’s popular Coogee Beach shortly after 11am on Saturday.

The woman, believed to be in her 30s, was airlifted to hospital after being pulled from the water by an off-duty lifeguard who was said to have paddled towards the incident.

Footage from the Westpac Lifesaving Rescue Helicopter appears to show a lone shark swimming near the beach after the attack.

All beaches in Sydney’s eastern suburbs are closed.

Randwick City Council called for anyone to be banned from the surfing area for 24 hours following the attack.

The closure covers Coogee, Clovelly and Maroubra beaches and “all other ocean beaches under municipal management”.

As a precaution, Bondi, Bronte and Tamarama beaches were also closed.

Surf Life Saving NSW officials said the woman was taken to St Vincents Hospital with serious arm and leg injuries but was “semi-conscious and breathing”.

Television presenter Fran Kelly was swimming nearby when she heard people screaming at her to get out and saw others rushing into the water to save the victim.

“I saw them take him out and I could see a big, nasty shark bite,” he told ABC News.

According to Randwick council, the shark in question is believed to be 3-4 meters long.

Mayor Dylan Parker said security guards on the beach responded immediately and administered emergency first aid and CPR before paramedics arrived.

“Council lifeguards and emergency responders acted quickly in difficult conditions and their efforts were outstanding.

“Unsurprisingly, there are now many shaken people who witnessed a very frightening event.

“Our hearts and thoughts are with the woman, her friends and family. The entire community is behind her and we wish her a speedy recovery.”

Coogee Surf Life Saving Club has announced it will host a community meeting for anyone affected by or witnessed the incident on Monday, June 15 at 6.30pm.

The incident follows a spate of recent deadly attacks across the country and has led to calls for stronger shark mitigation strategies.

Additional drone surveillance was arranged for Bondi and Bronte beaches on Saturday and Sunday and further flights in the area will be considered.

Central Coast local councilor Jared Wright said the incident highlighted the need for stronger protections for beachgoers across the state.

“There are no active SLSNSW drone patrols or shark listening stations at Coogee Beach,” he said in a statement.

“I have always been of the view that these protection measures should be put in place as quickly as possible on as many beaches as possible.”

SLNSW said drones were used at 14 locations across the state on Saturday but not in Coogee.

The most recent fatal attack in Australian waters occurred on June 6, when 35-year-old diver Daniel Turpin was bitten by a suspected 4.5-metre shark while spearfishing near Albany.

His death follows the deaths of father Steven Mattaboni, 38, from Perth, off Rottnest Island in May, and Michael Jensz, 39, who was spearfishing south of Cairns.

In January, NSW hit international headlines after recording four shark attacks in 48 hours.

Two people were taken to hospital in critical condition, while the other two escaped without serious injury.