A sign stands at Dee Why Beach in Sydney after a fatal shark attack on Sept. 6, 2025. CTV
A quiet morning at a national park on Australia’s east coast ended in tragedy when a shark killed a woman and seriously injured a man during an early swim. Police said the pair, both in their mid-20s, entered the water around 6:30 a.m. at Kylies Beach in Crowdy Bay National Park.
The two swimmers knew each other and had gone for a routine morning dip. The peaceful setting quickly turned into a scene of fear and confusion when a large shark attacked them without warning.
Emergency Response at the Scene
Police and ambulance crews arrived shortly after witnesses called for help. A bystander on the beach helped pull the pair from the water and gave immediate first aid. Despite their efforts, the woman died before paramedics could treat her.
The man suffered severe injuries to his leg. Paramedics stabilized him at the scene before a helicopter flew him to a nearby hospital. Paramedic Josh Smyth said the man’s condition remained serious but stable.
Smyth also praised the bystander for fast thinking. “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,” he said.
Beaches Closed After Attack
Police Chief Insp. Timothy Bayly said beaches in the region, including those north of the attack site, would close to swimmers until further notice. He said the closure aims to protect the public while authorities investigate the incident.
Bayly said he could not share details about the victims’ injuries or the exact sequence of events. He said only that the swimmers entered the water together and the shark attacked soon after.
Victims Identified as Swiss Nationals
Officials did not release the names of the victims. Later in the day, the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed the two were visitors from Switzerland. The department said its consulate in Sydney remains in close contact with authorities and is offering support to the families.
Scientists Identify the Shark
Marine experts determined a large bull shark carried out the attack. Bull sharks often swim close to shorelines and rivers, making them one of the few shark species known for unpredictable encounters with humans.
The state government deployed five drumlines—baited hooks attached to floating buoys—off Kylies Beach to try to locate the shark. Drumlines were already in place at two nearby coastal towns, Port Macquarie and Forster, as part of ongoing efforts to reduce shark encounters.
Experts Call Double Attack Extremely Rare
Shark researchers said the attack stood out as unusual. Gavin Naylor, who directs a major shark research program in the United States, said a single shark attacking two people in the same incident almost never happens.
“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,” he said.
Naylor said he would need more information about the shark’s behaviour to explain why it bit two swimmers.
Other Recent Shark Incidents
Australia has seen other serious shark encounters in recent years. In 2019, one shark attacked two British tourists on the Great Barrier Reef. One man lost a foot, and the other suffered deep leg wounds. More recently, a surfer died off a Sydney beach in September after a shark knocked him from his board.
