woman Dies,Man Hospitalized After Shark Attack in New South Wales,Australia
Pembrooke,New South Wales,Australia – A woman has died and a man is in serious but stable condition following a shark attack on a beach in New South Wales,Australia. The incident occurred while the pair were swimming, according to police.
The woman has not yet been identified. The man, also in his 20s, was initially airlifted to hospital in critical condition but has since been stabilized. Police believe a bystander’s swift application of a makeshift tourniquet to the man’s leg prevented a potential second fatality.
“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 perhaps saved his life and allowed New South Wales Ambulance paramedics to get to him and render frist aid,” said Police Chief Inspector Timothy Bayly.
Authorities have not released details regarding the nature of the injuries or the specific circumstances leading to the attack, stating only that the two individuals were known to each other.
“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,” Bayly added.
Shark attacks involving multiple victims are rare, according to experts. Gavin Naylor, director of the University of florida’s shark research program, stated, ”It is indeed 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.” Naylor noted that tiger sharks are more frequently implicated in multiple-victim incidents, while white shark attacks on more than one person are exceptionally uncommon. He suggested younger sharks may be more prone to making mistakes, and the risk increases near seal colonies or feeding areas.
The beach has been closed to the public as authorities work to identify the species of shark involved.
