A 17-year-old surfer died after being attacked by a shark off an east coast beach in Australia, police said on Saturday. Mani Hart-Deville was surfing the Wilsons Headland spot at Wooli Beach, 630 km north of Sydney, when he was bitten in the leg by the shark.
The drama took place in the middle of the afternoon, on this isolated spot in a national park, which is not watched at this time of the year. "Several surfers came to his rescue before the young man was brought back to shore," said New South Wales state police in a statement. The young surfer died on the spot, despite attempts at resuscitation.
VIDEO. 17-year-old surfer killed by shark
A large white shark of about 2.50m
If we have to wait for the results of the forensic tests to identify the shark more precisely, according to information from the rescuers relayed by the Sydney Morning Herald, a great white shark of about 2.50m. A drone will be sent to try to locate the shark while the surrounding beaches will remain closed until further notice.
#Beaches are closed throughout the Clarence Valley for 24hrs after a fatal #shark attack near Wooli today. #Lifesavers will be operating #drones & jetskis tomorrow to assist @nswdpi investigations. Please do not enter the water in this region until further notice. @NSWSharkSmart pic.twitter.com/OWNsViluIU
- Surf Life Saving NSW (@slsnsw) July 11, 2020This is the fifth fatal shark attack in Australia since the start of the year, following the death of a 36-year-old man a week ago while fishing with a harpoon on Fraser Island, a tourist island located 400 kilometers north of Brisbane. Australia is one of the countries where shark attacks are the most frequent but they are rarely fatal.
VIDEO. A camera on board a white shark on the hunt