By KARLEIGH SMITH, SENIOR NEWS REPORTER and MAISY RAE and CHARLOTTE KARP, SENIOR NEWS REPORTER, AUSTRALIA
The family of a hero schoolboy who jumped into the ocean to save his mate from a shark attack in Sydney Harbour say the group of friends are ‘traumatised’.
The 12-year-old victim was jumping into the water from a six-metre rock ledge at Nielsen Park, in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, at about 4.20pm on Sunday when he was mauled by a suspected bull shark.
Both his legs were severely injured in the attack, and he survived only because one of his five friends jumped in and dragged him onto a rock platform, while the predator swam nearby.
The victim was airlifted to Sydney Children’s Hospital in a critical condition and is now fighting for his life.
The hero mate’s grandmother praised her grandson for his courage on social media on Monday.
‘The boy who went into the water was my grandson,’ she wrote.
‘I’m so proud of his bravery and I’m praying for the recovery of his mate who is still in a critical condition and the group of friends who were with him.
‘All of them are traumatised by the event.’
Police transported the boy to Rose Bay Wharf before a CareFlight flew him to Randwick
The un-netted areas near Shark Beach were closed to swimmers on Monday
Maritime police continued to patrol the Nielsen Park coastline on Monday morning
A source told the Daily Mail the child is from the eastern suburbs. The Daily Mail approached his parents for comment via the hospital, but they declined to speak.
On Monday, a surfer who was catching waves at Shark Beach, just metres from where the child was mauled, revealed a terrifying premonition just moments before the vicious attack.
The young man said he had left the water minutes before the 12-year-old was dragged from the water.
The surfer witnessed the emergency response as he was packing up his car.
Speaking to the Daily Mail on the condition of anonymity due to his employment, the surfer said he and his friends had only just been discussing how the conditions were ‘perfect’ for a bull shark attack.
The predators, which notoriously patrol Sydney Harbour waters, are known to be more active in ‘brackish’ water – when fresh water during a significant rain event mixes with salt and becomes murky.
‘The water was so bad on Sunday,’ he said.
‘I was mainly worried I would come out of the water with an ear infection when my mate mentioned bull sharks. I said, “Aw, don’t say that.” And then this happened.’
Shark Beach was deserted after the attack, even within the netted swimming area
The Nielsen cafe manager Gene Arkoudis said locals were staying away
Authorities are still investigating the species involved in the attack.
NSW Police said heavy rainfall over the weekend, along with splashing caused by jumping, may have created the ‘perfect storm environment’ for the attack to occur.
‘The water yesterday was extremely brackish due to the heavy rain Sydney has experienced over the weekend,’ Marine Area Commander Superintendent Joe McNulty said.
‘They were jumping into muddy water, and we believe a shark was in the vicinity.
‘CPR (on the boy) was performed on the rock shelf and again on the boat. Combined with the tourniquets, we believe this prevented catastrophic blood loss.
‘He’s in for the fight of his life.
‘He’s undergone operations throughout the night at the Children’s Hospital at Randwick. He’s now in critical condition and with his parents.’
Superintendent McNulty said the boy’s friends were ‘extremely brave’ and that police were on scene within five minutes after receiving triple-zero calls from horrified onlookers.
A massive police response assembled at Rose Bay on Sunday evening
On Monday morning, the weather remained gloomy with light rainfall.
But the conditions – and the horrific attack – did not deter Lottie Naughton-Rumbo, who has been swimming regularly at Rose Bay for more than four years.
She told the Daily Mail she had heard about the shark attack and almost didn’t head from her Bondi home to Rose Bay, which is not netted, for her daily dip.
But she was not aware that it was prime conditions for bull sharks, and reacted with surprise when told they tend to attack in lower-light conditions and after rainfall.
‘The day I see a shark out there is the day I stop swimming here,’ Ms Naughton-Rumbo said.
On Monday morning, Shark Beach was largely deserted, despite the warm weather and school holidays.
Gene Arkoudis, manager at The Nielsen cafe, which overlooks the bay, said locals were staying away ‘out of respect’ for the boy.
‘Usually there would be more than 20 people out there at this time on a Monday morning,’ he said.
Local woman Lottie Naughton-Rumbo was not deterred from swimming at Rose Bay
A tourist visiting from Canada braved the water, asking reporters if it would be safe
A New Zealander visiting from Vancouver and his Canadian girlfriend were the only ones swimming inside the netted area.
He had only just heard about the shark attack and asked if he would be safe inside the nets.
Dr Daryll McPhee, shark expert and Bond University associate professor, said the boy was ‘incredibly unlucky’ to be attacked.
‘Bull shark attacks are pretty rare, there have only been about four in the past 50 years,’ he said.
Before Sunday’s incident, the most recent Sydney bull shark attack occurred in January 2024, when Lauren O’Neill was bitten on the leg while swimming at Elizabeth Bay late in the evening.
She survived, and a bite analysis confirmed a bull shark was responsible.
Dr McPhee advised those keen for a swim within Sydney Harbour to stick to areas protected by nets and structures, such as Murray Rose (Redleaf) Pool in Double Bay, Balmoral Beach, Dawn Fraser Baths in Balmain and Greenwich Baths.
Meanwhile, a young surfer has escaped injury after a shark bit his board at Sydney’s northern beaches on Monday morning.
A young boy was seen fishing metres from the attack location
The 11-year-old boy was surfing when a shark lunged from the water and took several bites out of his board at Dee Why Point.
One bite removed a large section of the board entirely, with several smaller bite marks also visible.
Witnesses said it appeared to be a bull shark measuring about four to five feet in length, though the species has not been confirmed.
The boy screamed for help, and was aided back to shore by another surfer, The Manly Observer reported.
