Wion
/World
/Fourth shark attack in 48 hours forces beach closures in Australia’s New South Wales – What we know

Fourth shark attack in 48 hours forces beach closures in Australia’s New South Wales – What we know

Edited By Prajvi Mathur

Published: Jan 20, 2026, 15:04 IST | Updated: Jan 20, 2026, 15:04 IST

Fourth shark attack in 48 hours forces beach closures in Australia’s New South Wales – What we know

A visitor walks along the shoreline near the closed signage of the North Steyne Beach in Sydney on January 19, 2026. Photograph: (AFP)

Story highlights

A surfer was injured in a shark attack on NSW’s Mid North Coast, the fourth in 48 hours. Authorities ordered beach closures across northern NSW and Sydney amid safety warnings.

An Australian surfer was bitten by a shark on Tuesday (Jan 29) morning, marking the fourth such attack along the New South Wales (NSW) coastline in 48 hours. According to the police, the 39-year-old man “sustained a wound to his chest” after a shark bit his board on the Mid North Coast. He was released from the hospital after receiving treatment. The attack comes after three other attacks in Sydney in the last two days.

NSW Superintendent Joseph McNulty earlier said that heavy rains in recent days may have created a “perfect storm environment” for shark attacks. Rain flushes nutrients into the water that can draw sharks closer to the shores.

Tuesday’s attack happened near the Point Plomer campground, about 450km (279 miles) north of Sydney. Beaches along New South Wales’ northern coast and northern Sydney remained closed on Tuesday. Local authorities said that Sydney's northern beaches would remain closed to swimmers and surfers for 48 hours.

Add WION as a Preferred Source

“If anyone's thinking of heading into the surf this morning anywhere along the northern beaches, think again. We have such poor water quality that’s really conducive to some bull shark activity,” Surf Life Saving NSW chief executive Steve Pearce said, as quoted by ABC News.

“If you're thinking about going for a swim, just go to a local pool because at this stage, we’re advising that beaches are unsafe,” Peace added.

Earlier on Monday (Jan 19) noon an 11-year-old boy was attacked by a shark while surfing at Dee Why Beach, an ocean beach north of Manly. The shark bit off his board, but the boy managed to escape uninjured. Another surfer in his 20s was bitten on leg by a shark off North Steyne Beach on the Pacific Ocean coast in the northern suburb of Manly the same day in the evening, the police said.