12-year-old boy dies after Sydney Harbour shark attack, family says
SYDNEY — A 12-year-old boy who was bitten by a shark in Sydney Harbour has died of his injuries, his family said, following an attack that has intensified concern over a spate of shark incidents around Australia’s largest city.
- Advertisement -
Nico Antic suffered critical injuries last week when a large shark attacked him as he and friends were jumping from a six-meter rock in Vaucluse, an eastern Sydney suburb on the harbor. He was pulled into a police boat while heavily bleeding and taken to a hospital, where he later died, his parents said in a statement.
“We are heartbroken to share that our son, Nico, has passed away,” Lorena and Juan Antic said. “Nico was a happy, friendly, and sporty young boy with the most kind and generous spirit. He was always full of life and that’s how we’ll remember him.”
The attack that ultimately killed Nico was one of four shark incidents recorded in the city over two days, prompting authorities to close dozens of Sydney beaches as a precaution. Officials did not immediately detail the species involved in the harbor incident, though recent sightings and encounters have included bull and great white sharks along the New South Wales coast.
Nico’s death is Sydney’s third recent shark-related fatality. In September, surfer Mercury Psillakis was killed by a great white at a popular northern Sydney ocean beach. Two months later, a woman died after a bull shark attack off a remote beach north of the city.
Australian scientists say more people in the water and rising ocean temperatures are influencing shark movements and migratory patterns, which may be contributing to an apparent rise in encounters near populated shorelines. Warmer conditions can shift where sharks feed and travel, while busy bays and beaches increase the chance of human interactions.
The cluster of incidents has renewed debate over how authorities should manage risk across Sydney’s network of harbor pools and ocean beaches, which are central to daily life in the city. Along with temporary closures, officials typically deploy drone patrols, surveillance flights, and public alerts during heightened risk periods. Netting and drumlines are used at some ocean beaches in New South Wales, though critics argue those measures harm marine life without eliminating danger.
Shark attacks remain statistically rare, even in Australia’s coastal hubs, and most encounters do not result in fatalities. Safety guidance from local authorities encourages swimmers to avoid murky water, steer clear of schooling fish and seal colonies, refrain from swimming at dawn or dusk, and heed closures and signage when sharks are sighted.
Nico’s parents thanked the community for its support as they mourned their son. “He was always full of life,” they said. “That’s how we’ll remember him.”
By Abdiwahab Ahmed
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
