Shark Attack: Australian Surfer Killed In Rare Great White Fatality Near Resort Town

An Australian surfer died in a shark attack Sunday morning in northern New South Wales. The 60-year-old Queensland man had been surfing off of Salt Beach in Kingscliff when the 10-foot-long shark attacked him, a once-rare occurrence in Australia that has become more prevalent in 2020.

The surfer, who died due to injuries, was initially saved when a handful of nearby surfers fought off the shark and pulled him back to shore. Emergency responders were notified of the incident at around 10 a.m. local time.

“He was rendered first aid for serious injuries to his left leg but died at the scene,” local police said of the incident.

Such shark attacks had been considered rare in Australia, so much so that not a single shark fatality was reported in 2019. This year alone, however, there have been three deaths, including this most recent one, according to data from the Taronga Conservation Society.

In January, a diver off the coast of Western Australia reportedly was attacked by a shark and has not been found. In April, a wildlife officer was attacked and killed near the Great Barrier Reef.

The Surf Life Saving organization deployed numerous drones, helicopters, and jet ski riders to search for the shark. A shark was found and photographed that matched the one involved in the attack.

Kingscliff is a noted vacation town on Australia’s east coast and is located roughly 70 miles south of Brisbane.

Beaches between Kingscliff and Cabarita were closed for 24 hours following the attack.