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Shark Attack Shocks Australian Coast, Claims Tourist Life
A tragic shark attack off Australia’s east coast on Thursday has left one Swiss tourist dead and another seriously injured. The incident occurred at Kylies Beach in Crowdy Bay, near Port Macquarie, approximately 218 miles north of Sydney, a popular surf destination.
Emergency services responded to the scene on Thursday morning after reports of two individuals bitten by a shark. New South Wales state police confirmed that a woman, believed to be in her 20s and whose identity has not yet been formally released, died at the scene.
A man, also reportedly in his 20s, was airlifted to a hospital in critical condition. Police Chief Inspector Timothy Bayly stated that the pair were known to each other.
The Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs has confirmed both individuals were Swiss nationals, stating, “One Swiss national lost her life, and another Swiss national was injured.” The Swiss Consulate General in Sydney is currently in contact with Australian authorities and providing support to the victims’ relatives.
New South Wales Ambulance Superintendent Josh Smyth praised the heroic actions of a witness at the beach who applied a makeshift tourniquet to the injured man. Smyth credited this immediate action with potentially saving the man’s life and allowing emergency services crucial time to administer first aid. “The courage from some bystanders is amazing, and in this situation to put yourself out there is very heroic, and it did give us time to get to that male patient,” Smyth remarked.
Kylies Beach has been closed as authorities work to identify the species of shark involved in the attack. Drumlines have also been deployed in an effort to locate and capture the shark.
This incident marks the second fatal shark attack in the region in two months, following the death of a surfer at Long Reef Beach in Sydney’s north.