A surfer was bitten by a shark, marking the fourth attack along New South Wales’ coastline in under 48 hours.
The 39-year-old man sustained minor cuts after the shark bit through his board near Crescent Head on January 20 morning. Reports say he is in hospital in stable condition.
The incident follows three other attacks in Sydney over the past two days. Police said all beaches in Sydney’s northern area will remain closed until further notice.
Authorities believe recent heavy rains may have created a «perfect storm environment» for shark attacks, NSW Superintendent Joseph McNulty said. Rain can wash nutrients into the water, drawing sharks closer to shore. Tuesday’s attack occurred near the Point Plomer campground, about 450km north of Sydney.
Steve Pearce, chief executive of Surf Life Saving NSW, said the surfer was «very fortunate to not have sustained any serious injuries,» according to ABC.
«We really strongly advocate that nobody swim or surf near river mouths because it’s obviously an area where sharks congregate,» Pearce said. «If it’s dirty water I’d think twice about going in there.»
A young surfer was also bitten at Dee Why Beach in Sydney on January 19 but escaped with minor injuries. Hours later, a shark attack at nearby Manly left a 27-year-old with «life-changing» injuries. On Sunday, a 12-year-old boy was critically injured in a shark bite at a popular Sydney Harbour beach.
Authorities believe bull sharks were involved in several of the recent attacks.
The Australian Museum says bull sharks, which can live in both fresh water and salt water, are «one of the few sharks that are potentially dangerous to people.» The International Shark Attack File lists them as the third deadliest shark species.
