Tragic Morning Swim Ends in Fatal Shark Attack
A peaceful morning swim turned into a nightmare at an Australian national park beach when a shark attacked and killed a woman while seriously injuring a male companion. The tragic incident occurred on Thursday, November 27, at Crowdy Bay National Park, located approximately 224 miles north of Sydney.
Police Chief Inspector Timothy Bayly confirmed that emergency services responded to Kylies Beach around 6:30 a.m. following reports that two people in their mid-20s had been bitten by a shark. The victims were known to each other and were taking an early morning swim together when the attack occurred.
Heroic Bystander Prevents Double Tragedy
A quick-thinking bystander rushed to help the pair before ambulance paramedics could arrive at the remote beach location. Despite these efforts, the woman tragically died at the scene. The male victim was airlifted by helicopter to a nearby hospital in serious but stable condition.
Paramedic Josh Smyth praised the bystander's actions, stating that the immediate first aid likely saved the man's life. "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 potentially saved his life," Smyth told reporters.
Investigation Launched Into Rare Double Attack
Authorities have initiated an investigation to determine the circumstances surrounding the unusual attack. Gavin Naylor, director of the University of Florida's shark research program and manager of the International Shark Attack File database, emphasized how rare such incidents are.
"It is 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 explained. He noted that tiger sharks are typically responsible for the few documented cases where a single shark attacks multiple people.
Police are working with marine experts to identify the shark species responsible for Thursday's attack. Meanwhile, five drumlines have been deployed off Kylies Beach in an attempt to catch the animal, with additional drumlines already in place at nearby Port Macquarie and Forster.
As a safety precaution, beaches in the area and to the north of the attack site have been closed to swimmers indefinitely. The identities of the victims have not been officially released, though media reports indicate they were European tourists visiting the popular national park known for beach camping, fishing spots, and hiking tracks.
