Woman in her 20s dies after being mauled by a shark at Crowdy Bay – as a young man is airlifted to hospital in a critical condition
A woman in her 20s died after being attacked by a shark while swimming in the early morning hours at a popular holiday destination.
Emergency services were called to Kylies Beach in Crowdy Bay, south of Port Macquarie, at around 6.30am on Thursday following reports of a shark attack.
NSW Police confirmed a man and woman, both in their 20s, were assaulted.
The couple are understood to be Swedish citizens and the man was attacked during his efforts to rescue the woman.
Despite all the efforts of those around her, the woman died before medical teams arrived. He has not yet been officially identified.
The man suffered a ‘large laceration to his upper right thigh’ and was airlifted to Newcastle’s runway J.A NSW Ambulance spokesman said Ohn Hunter Hospital died.
His condition is currently stable.
NSW Ambulance Inspector Joshua Smyth praised the efforts of bystanders who provided life-saving aid to the injured man.
A man in his 20s (pictured) was injured while trying to save a woman from a fatal shark attack
A woman in her 20s died after being attacked by a shark during an early morning swim at Crowdy Bay on the NSW Mid North Coast on Thursday morning.
‘I have to address the bystander who applied a makeshift tourniquet to the men’s legs on the beach,’ he said at a press conference on Thursday.
‘This potentially saved his life and allowed New South Wales ambulance paramedics to reach him and provide first aid.
‘The bravery of some bystanders is incredible… putting yourself out there was very heroic and bought us time to get to that male patient.’
Supt Smyth could not confirm how the injured couple reached shore after the attack, but said the woman was found dead in the sand when they arrived.
NSW Ambulance sent a number of resources to the scene, including a helicopter with a doctor, an intensive care paramedic and five ground vehicles.
Surf Life Saving NSW’s James Turner said there were no active patrols at the time.
‘We sent people into the area to assist with an incident that occurred quite quickly and had already been responded to there,’ he said.
Mr Turner urged all swimmers to stay away from uncontrolled areas.
Surrounding beaches will be closed for at least 24 hours, while Surf Life Saving NSW will deploy drones to locate the shark and monitor ongoing risks.
The couple are understood to be staying at Kylies Beach campsite in Crowdy Bay National Park.
A warning on the campsite’s website states that ‘the beaches in this park are not patrolled and may be subject to strong currents.’
NSW operates a shark monitoring program that sends out alerts when tagged sharks come within 500 meters of receivers near 37 coastline beaches.
Kylies Beach does not have a buyer, the nearest being at Old Bar, about 30km south.
The beach was closed as experts from the Department for Primary Industries attempted to identify the shark species in question.
The department tagged and released a 2.6-metre tiger shark at Burgess Beach in Forster, 70 kilometers from Kylies Beach, around 10.50am on Wednesday.
A police spokesman confirmed drum lines could be used in a bid to capture the shark responsible for Thursday’s attack.
Surrounding beaches will be closed for at least 24 hours, while Surf Life Saving NSW will deploy drones to locate the shark and monitor ongoing risks.
Despite all the efforts of the eyewitnesses, the woman died before medical teams arrived.
“Tragically a young woman was killed by a shark and another man was taken to hospital,” the company’s CEO, Steven Pearce, told 2GB radio.
‘This area is so remote there is no lifeguard service there.
‘These incidents are terrible for everyone and unfortunately we’ve had a few already this year.’
Lyne MP Alison Penfold said she was ‘deeply hurt’ by the incident.
“I cannot imagine the pain and shock the family and loved ones are going through right now,” he wrote on social media.
‘I offer my deepest condolences to them and the wider Crowdy community on this devastatingly tragic loss of life.’
A report will be prepared for the coroner.
