Fourth shark attack in three days leaves surfer hospitalized in eastern Australia
A 39‑year‑old surfer was hospitalized Tuesday morning after being bitten by a shark on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales, marking the fourth shark attack in the state within just 48 hours, Qazinform News Agency cites Xinhua.
The incident occurred around 10 a.m. while the man was surfing with a group more than 300 km northeast of Sydney. The shark bit through his board, but he escaped with minor leg injuries and was taken to the hospital.
According to Surf Life Saving NSW chief executive Steve Pearce, the surfer was lucky to be alive.
In response, authorities closed beaches along a 5‑kilometer stretch of the Mid North Coast and deployed drones to monitor for shark activity.
The attack follows a series of recent incidents. Two shark attacks were reported in the area on Monday and a third attack at a beach on the southern shore of Sydney Harbor on Sunday afternoon.
The victims of the second northern Sydney attack, a man aged in his 20s, and the Sydney Harbor attack, a 12-year-old boy, were both hospitalized with critical injuries.
Last November, one person died and another was hospitalized with serious injuries after they were attacked by a shark at a beach in an Australian national park.