A shark attack at Kylies Beach, located within Crowdy Bay National Park in Australia, resulted in the death of a woman and serious injuries to a man on the morning of October 5, 2023. The incident occurred around 6:30 a.m. as the two individuals, both in their mid-20s, were swimming together. According to police, the woman died at the beach, while the man was airlifted to a hospital in serious but stable condition.
Police Chief Inspector Timothy Bayly confirmed that the two victims were known to each other and had gone for a swim when the attack took place. He declined to provide further details about the injuries or the circumstances surrounding the incident, stating, “At this stage, all I’m prepared to say is they were known to each other and they were going for a swim and the shark attacked.”
A bystander promptly assisted the pair on the beach, applying first aid before paramedics arrived. Paramedic Josh Smyth noted that the bystander’s actions may have prevented a second fatality. “I just really need to have a shoutout to the bystander on the beach who put a makeshift tourniquet on the male’s leg which obviously potentially saved his life,” Smyth said.
The identities of the victims have not been released, but media reports indicate that they were European tourists. In response to the attack, local authorities closed Kylies Beach and surrounding areas to swimmers indefinitely. Police are collaborating with marine experts to identify the species of shark involved, while the state government has deployed five drumlines off Kylies Beach in efforts to catch the shark.
The presence of drumlines at nearby locations, such as Port Macquarie to the north and Forster to the south, is part of ongoing measures to reduce shark populations in the region. Gavin Naylor, director of the University of Florida’s shark research program, emphasized that attacks by a single shark on multiple individuals are extremely rare. “It is very unusual. Individual shark attacks are rare, and shark attacks on two people by the same individual are not unheard of, but it’s very rare,” Naylor stated.
Naylor explained that understanding the shark’s behavior during the attack is essential to comprehend its motivations. Factors such as the size of the shark and its proximity to other prey are crucial. “Sometimes younger sharks are less judicious and they can make mistakes,” he noted. “The few bites that we do have where a single shark has bitten multiple people, it’s usually tiger sharks.”
This tragic incident is not isolated; in 2019, two British tourists were attacked by a single shark while snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef, resulting in severe injuries. Additionally, a shark fatally mauled a surfer off a Sydney beach in September 2023.
As the investigation continues, authorities remain focused on ensuring the safety of beachgoers in the region while seeking to understand the circumstances surrounding this unusual attack.
