1 week ago
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A surfer has been taken to hospital after being bitten by a shark off the coast of a New South Wales national park campground, the state’s fourth incident in 48 hours.
The Mid North Coast Local Health District said the man, 39, was in hospital in a stable condition with minor injuries after an animal bite. The attack took place near the Point Plomer campground, less than 20km up the coastline from Port Macquarie, on Tuesday morning.
The man escaped serious injury and was recovering with minor cuts and grazes, Surf Life Saving NSW CEO, Steven Pearce, told the ABC.
Donna Wishart, a communications manager at Surf Life Saving NSW, said the agency had activated drone surveillance and lifeguard teams in the area near Crescent Head, who were traveling to the beach on jetskis. She confirmed the group had been told the man suffered grazes to his leg after coming into contact with a shark.
In an Instagram post, Port Macquarie Australian Lifeguard Service said beaches between Town beach and Crescent Head had been closed due to a “shark bite incident a Point Plomer”.
The NSW Department of Primary Industries was aware of the incident and said it would release a statement on the matter later in the day.
The Sydney region has seen a spate of shark attacks in recent days following a period of heavy rain.
A 12-year-old boy remains in hospital after he was bitten near Sydney’s Nielsen Park on Sunday. An 11-year old surfer had his board bitten by a shark at Dee Why on Monday, and a man thought to be in his 20s remains in critical condition after he was bitten by a shark at Manly beach on Monday evening.
Experts say the brackish and murky conditions in Sydney Harbour and along the coastline has made swimming much more dangerous, drawing in sharks and the bait fish they eat. NSW police have urged the public to avoid the water in such conditions.
All beaches in Sydney’s northern beaches are closed until at least Thursday, as are many in the Vaucluse area.
More to come
