'Just Go To Local Pool': Australian Authorities To Beachgoers After 4 Shark Attacks In 48 Hours

Last Updated:January 20, 2026, 17:52 IST

Sydney faces four shark attacks in 48 hours, with incidents at Limeburners Creek national park, North Steyne Beach, Shark Beach, and Dee Why Beach. Beaches closed.

People stand next to warning signs in place, and beaches are closed after a surfer suffered a shark attack today at North Steyne Beach in Sydney, Australia. (AP)

With a 39-year-old surfer critically injured after being bitten off the coast of New South Wales’ Limeburners Creek Park, Sydney has reported four incidents of shark attacks in just 48 hours.

The Guardian quoted the local health district stating that the latest incident took place near the Point Plomer campground, less than 20km north of Port Macquarie, on Tuesday morning.

According to the NSW police, the man was surfing when a shark took over his surfboard. Due to the incident, the man sustained injury on his chest and was later discharged after treatment.

Following the latest incident, ABC quoted Surf Life Saving NSW chief executive Steven Pearce, who said: “If anyone’s thinking of heading into the surf this morning, anywhere along the northern beaches, think again."

“We have such poor water quality that’s conducive to bull shark activity. We have two people critically injured in hospital this morning. Just go to a local pool, because at this stage, we’re advising that the beaches are unsafe," he said.

Donna Wishart, a communications manager at Surf Life Saving NSW, said drone surveillance and lifeguard teams in the area near Crescent Head, who were travelling to the beach on jet skis, have been activated.

Meanwhile, Port Macquarie Australian Lifeguard Service said in an Instagram post that beaches between Town Beach and Crescent Head had been closed due to a “shark bite incident".

In the previous shark attack incidents, a man and a boy were critically injured and another child narrowly escaped harm.

On Monday evening, a surfer in his 20s was bitten on the leg by a shark off North Steyne Beach in the northern suburb of Manly. The attack occurred around 6:20 pm local time. Police said bystanders pulled the man from the water before he was taken to hospital in a critical condition.

The second incident took place on Sunday inside Sydney Harbour at Shark Beach in the eastern suburb of Vaucluse. A 12-year-old boy suffered serious injuries to both legs after jumping from a six-metre ledge known as Jump Rock. Police credited the boy’s three friends with saving his life by jumping into the water during the attack and dragging him back to shore.

In another attack, an 11-year-old boy was on a surfboard at Dee Why Beach, north of Manly, when a shark bit into the board. The shark tore off a chunk of the surfboard, but the boy escaped without injury.

Authorities said Sydney’s northern beaches, including North Steyne and Dee Why, would remain closed until further notice.

Officials suspect bull sharks were responsible for at least the first two attacks. Police had earlier warned that heavy rainfall had increased murky freshwater flow into Sydney Harbour, raising the risk of bull shark activity, the Associated Press reported.

News world 'Just Go To Local Pool': Australian Authorities To Beachgoers After 4 Shark Attacks In 48 Hours

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