Additional Coverage:
- Australia shuts down beaches after 4 shark attacks; woman found dead surrounded by dingoes (nbcnews.com)
Australian Authorities Investigate Dingo Attack on Tourist Amid Surge in Shark Incidents
Australian police are currently investigating the tragic death of a 19-year-old Canadian woman found on K’gari (formerly Fraser Island), with early indications suggesting dingo involvement. This somber news comes as dozens of beaches across New South Wales have been closed following an unusual spate of four shark attacks in just two days.
The young woman, who had been working on K’gari for approximately six weeks, was discovered early Monday morning near the Maheno shipwreck, a popular tourist spot. Two men reported finding her body surrounded by a pack of roughly ten dingoes. Police Inspector Paul Algie confirmed that “markings on her body consistent with having been touched and interfered with by the dingoes” were present.
While the exact cause of death is yet to be determined, with drowning also being considered a possibility, authorities do not suspect the woman was unwell prior to her death. “She was a young, healthy Canadian woman who was enjoying the trip of a lifetime and working in a beautiful part of the world,” Inspector Algie stated, calling the circumstances “tragic.” He also issued a stark warning to the public to avoid approaching dingoes, a protected species on the World Heritage-listed K’gari, noting a similar incident in 2023 where a jogger was nearly killed by dingoes in the same vicinity.
Shark Attacks Prompt Widespread Beach Closures
Meanwhile, the eastern coast of Australia is grappling with a sudden surge in shark activity. On Tuesday, dozens of beaches in New South Wales were shut down after four shark attacks in 48 hours left two individuals in critical condition.
In Port Macquarie, a 39-year-old surfer sustained minor injuries in an attack at Point Plomer. Steve Pearce, chief executive of Surf Life Saving New South Wales, advised the public to opt for local pools, stating that “at this stage, we’re advising that the beaches are unsafe.” He attributed the increased bull shark activity to murky waters resulting from recent heavy rainfall.
Closer to Sydney, the nation’s largest city, three additional attacks unfolded. A surfer in his 20s is in critical condition after suffering serious leg injuries from a shark bite at North Steyne Beach in Manly on Monday evening.
Northern Beaches Mayor Sue Heins expressed shock, lamenting that “this can have happened again so soon on our beaches,” referencing a fatal great white shark attack in September. Earlier the same day, a boy at Dee Why Beach narrowly escaped injury when a shark bit a chunk out of his surfboard.
All beaches in the Northern Beaches area are expected to remain closed until at least Wednesday.
On Sunday, a 12-year-old boy sustained severe leg injuries after a shark attack near Shark Beach in Vaucluse while jumping off rocks with friends. In response, organizers of the upcoming Sydney Harbour Splash, an annual ocean swimming event, announced its cancellation “out of deep respect for the young boy who was tragically attacked yesterday, and for his family and friends.”
These incidents occur during the peak of the Southern Hemisphere summer, a time when Australian beaches are typically bustling with locals and tourists. While both dingo and shark attacks are rare, with sharks averaging fewer than three annual deaths in Australia, these recent events serve as a sobering reminder of the inherent risks associated with the country’s wild and beautiful natural environments.