SYDNEY: Beaches in Sydney’s north remained closed on Tuesday after a shark bit a man in his 20s, the third shark attack in the city in two days.
Emergency services were called to a beach in Manly, in the city’s north, on Monday night after reports that a shark had bitten a surfer, New South Wales Police said in a statement.
He was treated for serious leg injuries and taken to hospital in critical condition.
All beaches on the Northern Beaches, a council area that straddles the city’s north coast, will remain closed until further notice, police said.
Earlier Monday, a 10-year-old boy escaped unharmed after a shark knocked him into the water and ripped off a piece of his surfboard.
On Sunday, a boy was left in critical condition after being bitten by a shark on a city beach.
The attacks come after days of heavy rain that lashed the port and beaches around the city, creating ideal conditions for bull sharks suspected to be behind some of the attacks. The species thrives in brackish waters.
Australia suffers about 20 shark attacks a year, of which just under three are fatal, according to data from conservation groups. Those figures are dwarfed by drownings on the country’s beaches.
