A shark attack at Kylies Beach in Crowdy Bay National Park, located on Australia’s east coast, resulted in the death of a woman and serious injuries to a man on the morning of Thursday, September 28, 2023. The incident occurred at approximately 6:30 a.m., prompting an immediate response from emergency services.
Police Chief Inspector Timothy Bayly confirmed that the victims, both in their mid-20s, were known to each other and had entered the water for a swim when the attack took place. While Bayly refrained from disclosing specific details about the injuries, he noted the severity of the situation. “At this stage, all I’m prepared to say is they were known to each other and they were going for a swim and the shark attacked,” he stated during a press briefing.
A bystander on the beach provided assistance to the victims before ambulance personnel arrived. Tragically, the female victim succumbed to her injuries at the scene. The male victim was airlifted to a hospital, where paramedic Josh Smyth described his condition as serious but stable. Smyth emphasized the critical role of the bystander, who applied a makeshift tourniquet to the man’s leg, potentially saving his life. “I just really need to have a shoutout to the bystander on the beach who put a makeshift tourniquet on the male’s leg which obviously potentially saved his life,” he remarked.
In response to the attack, authorities closed nearby beaches indefinitely to ensure the safety of swimmers. The area, popular for beach camping, fishing, and hiking, is located approximately 360 kilometers (224 miles) north of Sydney. Five drumlines—baited hooks suspended from floats—were deployed off Kylies Beach to capture the shark involved in the incident, according to the state government. Drumlines are also in place to the north at Port Macquarie and to the south at Forster as part of ongoing efforts to reduce shark populations in the region.
The identities of the victims have not been released, but media reports indicate they were European tourists. Gavin Naylor, director of the University of Florida’s shark research program, stated that attacks involving a single shark targeting multiple individuals are highly uncommon. “It is very unusual. Individual shark attacks are rare. And shark attacks on two people by the same individual is not unheard of, but it’s very rare,” he explained.
Naylor suggested that understanding the sequence of events leading to the attack is crucial for determining the shark’s behavior. Factors such as the size of the shark and the presence of other prey in the vicinity can influence such incidents. “Sometimes younger sharks are less judicious and they can make mistakes. Where sharks are close to seal colonies and feeding, the probability (of attack) is higher,” he noted. He added that most documented cases of a single shark attacking multiple people involve tiger sharks, with great white sharks typically not exhibiting such behavior unless provoked.
This incident is not isolated, as there have been previous attacks involving sharks in Australian waters. In 2019, two British tourists were attacked by a single shark while snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef. One sustained severe leg injuries while the other lost a foot. Additionally, a surfer was fatally mauled by a shark off a Sydney beach in September 2023, with two sections of his surfboard recovered from the scene.
As investigations continue, local authorities are collaborating with experts to determine the species of shark responsible for this tragic incident. The community remains in shock as they grapple with the loss of life and the serious injuries sustained in this rare but devastating attack.
