Three shark attacks in 24 hours leaves boy, 12, in coma and swimmer seriously injured

Three separate shark attacks in just over 24 hours have left a 12-year-old boy in a coma and a man critically injured, as beaches are now closed and locals are urged to stay alert

The sharked attacks have rocked Sydney in just over 24 hours with a boy of 11 the youngest victim – and a 12-year-old left in a coma.

A third young man was also left fighting for his life after the horror spate of attacks on beaches in the city’s iconic coastline.

The beaches have since been closed and locals have been warned to stay vigilant after the spate of terrifying incidents, which began on Sunday and continued with a suspected shark attack at Manly Beach, North Sydney at around 6.30pm local time on Monday.

The first incident came when a 12-year-old boy was brutally mauled by a large shark while swimming with friends off a six-metre rock ledge at Shark Beach in Vaucluse. The spot is renowned for its safety.

Quick-thinking pals reportedly dragged the boy from the water before emergency crews arrived. This move reportedly gave the boy a crucial chance of survival, police said.

The young victim remains in intensive care after suffering catastrophic injuries, the BBC reported. Joseph McNulty, head of New South Wales’ marine area command, consequently praised the boy’s friends.

He said: “The actions of his mates… have been nothing but brave. [It was] a gallant recovery.”

McNulty added: “Very confronting injuries for those boys to see, but I suppose that’s mateship.” Marine police reportedly rushed to what they described as a “horrendous scene”.

Hauling the injured lad onto a police speedboat and desperately applying tourniquets to stem the bleeding from his legs, they raced the victim to an ambulance waiting at the wharf. Authorities reportedly suspect a bull shark behind the attack.

McNulty suggested that recent heavy rainfall and murky water conditions may have created a “perfect storm environment” for sharks to move closer to shore. He explained: “Rain flushes nutrients into the rivers and oceans which can draw sharks closer to shore.”

Just hours later, an 11-year-old surfer narrowly escaped disaster at Dee Why Beach after a suspected shark bit through his surfboard, prompting urgent warnings from local councils for swimmers and surfers to be extra cautious.

The carnage continued on Monday evening (January 19) when a man was pulled from the water at North Steyne Beach, Manly, with severe leg injuries after another shark attack.

He was reportedly rushed to hospital in critical condition, and police have since closed all beaches in Sydney’s Northern Beaches as a precaution. While there are more than 500 species of sharks, only a small handful are considered dangerous to humans.

As of 2026, the “Big Three”; the Great White, Tiger, and Bull sharks. remain responsible for the vast majority of all unprovoked shark attacks and fatalities globally.

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