Man dies after being mauled by shark near Sydney

A 57-year-old man has died after being attacked by a shark at a beach near Sydney, police in Australia have said.

Emergency services were called to reports of a man suffering critical injuries on Saturday morning. He was brought to shore but died at the scene.

Local media have identified him as Mercury Psillakis, a surfer and father-of-one.

Police have closed surrounding beaches and said they are liaising with wildlife experts to determine the species of shark involved. Two sections of a surfboard were recovered and taken for examination.

According to witnesses, fellow surfers brought the victim ashore and distraught family members rushed to the scene.

Local surfer Bill Sakula told reporters at the beach he heard about the attack while preparing to leave for a morning surf.

Police work at the site of a fatal shark attack at Dee Why Beach in Sydney, Australia. / Credit: AP

“It’s going to send shockwaves through the community,” he said.

“Everyone is going to be a little bit nervous for a while.”

Surf Life Saving NSW deployed a drone to search for further shark activity.

“Our deepest condolences go to the family of the man involved in this terrible tragedy,” the group’s chief executive, Steve Pearce, said in a statement. He urged people to stay out of the water at the beaches in the vicinity.

The attack is thought to be the first in the state of New South Wales this year.

The last time a person was killed by a shark in Sydney was in February 2022. That was the city’s first fatal shark attack since 1963.

Shark nets were installed at 51 beaches between Newcastle and Wollongong on Monday as part of a seasonal program.