NSW Police said in a statement on Wednesday that emergency services were called to Buchan Point, Malabar – where Little Bay Beach is located – at around 4:35pm local time “after receiving a report that a shark had attacked a swimmer in the water”.
According to the statement, officers who attended the scene, along with Marine District Command and Surf Life Saving NSW, found “human remains” in the waters.
Four ambulance crews and a rescue helicopter with a critical care doctor and a paramedic have been dispatched to the area, the NSW Ambulance Agency told CNN in a statement.
“Unfortunately, this individual was catastrophically injured as a result of the attack and there was nothing paramedics could do when we arrived at the scene,” said Lucky Farrakhaneh, NSW Ambulance Inspector.
Randwick City Council said Little Bay Beach and surrounding beaches are closed for 24 hours. The council added that this was the first fatal shark attack in Randwick in recent memory.
“The coast is our community’s backyard,” Randwick Mayor Dylan Parker said in a statement. Whittle Bay is usually a quiet, beautiful place for families to enjoy.
“Losing someone in a shark attack like this is terrifying. We are all in shock. The hearts of our entire community go to the victim’s family.”
New South Wales Police said they would reach out to the Department of Primary Industry to investigate the circumstances surrounding the swimmer’s death.
Police said a forensic report will be prepared.
The museum describes “unexplained bites” as incidents in which a human bite occurs in the shark’s natural environment without any human provocation by the shark. “Excited bites” are categorized as when a person begins to interact with a shark in some way.
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