Shark Attacks Two Swimmers In NSW: Woman Dead, Man Fighting For Life

Another fatal shark attack on Australia’s east coast this morning. This one played out just after dawn at Crowdy Bay National Park on NSW’s Mid North Coast, less than an hour south of Port Macquarie, where Toby Begg lost his leg in 2023.

According to reports, emergency services were called to the remote stretch of coast around 6:30am following reports that two swimmers had been mauled by a shark. Witnesses rushed to help while paramedics were on the way, but the woman died at the scene. A bystander used swimmers to fashion a makeshift tourniquet around the man’s leg — an act NSW Ambulance later confirmed likely saved his life. He was flown to John Hunter Hospital in critical condition.

The beach has since been closed as authorities deploy drone surveillance and consult marine experts to determine which species was responsible. NSW Department of Primary Industries officers are now leading the investigation.

Surf Life Saving NSW chief executive Steven Pearce described the location as “extremely remote” with no lifeguard services operating in the area. “Tragically, one young woman has died, and a man has been flown to hospital with serious injuries,” he said. “These incidents are horrific for everyone — and unfortunately, we’ve had a few this year already.”

Crowdy Bay lies south of Port Macquarie, a section of coast that has seen multiple serious incidents in recent years. 

The latest attack comes as authorities across NSW continue to wrestle with the future of shark management along the state’s coastline. Proposals to remove or reduce shark nets in parts of Sydney have been thrown into limbo following several attacks this year, reigniting public debate around deterrence, culling, and non-lethal alternatives.

Related: We asked about Sharks, 3000 Surfers answered.

In a recent Stab survey of more than 3,000 surfers, 65% supported protecting dangerous sharks regardless of risk, yet 58% still favoured killing “rogue” individuals after attacks. An even larger majority said neither nets nor personal deterrent devices were effective, while calling on government to invest in better solutions, reflecting a public increasingly uneasy with the risks, but deeply split on how to manage them.

Marine biologists have long warned that rising interactions are likely being driven less by shark population growth and more by ecosystem disruption and depleted food sources offshore, pushing predators closer to shore. Great whites — among the oldest surviving species on the planet — are known to travel vast distances and respond quickly to changes in prey availability.

Our thoughts go out to the friends and family of the victims.