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Sydney, Australia
A 29-year-old woman who was mauled by a shark in Australia’s Sydney Harbour in the first attack in the past 15 years or so, on Tuesday (Jan 30) is said to be in stable condition after sustaining a “serious” leg injury.
About the attack
The emergency services responded to an incident that occurred at around 7:45 pm (local time), on Monday (Jan 29) at a private wharf in Elizabeth Bay and found a woman believed to be in her 20s, with “a serious injury” to her right leg, said the police in New South Wales, in a statement.
The Australian media later identified the woman as 29-year-old, Lauren O’Neill. According to the police, the woman was swimming off the wharf when the shark attacked her. She reportedly suffered significant injuries to her leg and blood loss after being attacked by a bull shark.
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Media reports citing residents and the police said that the incident took place about 20 metres off from the jetty and less than two kilometres from Sydney Opera House. Notably, while shark sightings along the prominent Australian city’s ocean-facing beaches are common, it was the first attack in Sydney Harbour since February 2009.
According to 9News, a nearby veterinarian applied a tourniquet to stem the bleeding and O’Neill was rushed to St Vincent’s Hospital in a critical condition.
The 29-year-old, as per a hospital spokesperson, is in stable condition in intensive care and is expected to undergo surgery during the day.
Neighbours recall ‘horrifying’ attack
O’Neill’s neighbours rushed to help her after the shark attack, while a veterinarian living nearby gave first aid.
“I got home from work and sat down on the couch. I heard a soft yell for help just outside the window,” nearby resident Michael Porter told reporters, as quoted by AFP. He saw a woman outside trying to climb a ladder out of the harbour’s waters.
“Behind her was her leg, which was limp and all completely open and full of dark red blood behind her,” Porter added. “The whole thing was totally surreal and I still haven’t processed it all, to be honest.”
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“We have always worried and known about sharks in the harbour,” he said. “It’s only now that it feels very real.” Porter also went on to call the vet named Fiona who applied tourniquets a “hero,” adding “I believe she saved her life.”
Amy Smoothey, senior shark scientist at the New South Wales department of primary industries, told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that based on the bite patterns and images provided, the woman was likely attacked by a bull shark.
Sharks are “more actively feeding” in low light at dawn and dusk, Smoothey said, making it “potentially a high-risk time to be swimming”. She also said that scientists have tagged 87 large bull sharks in Sydney Harbour since 2009.
(With inputs from agencies)