A surfer died on Saturday after he was bitten by a large shark in the waters north of Sydney, Australia, the police said, prompting the local authorities to close beaches in the area.
The man, whom the authorities have not identified, died at Long Reef Beach after other surfers pulled him out of the water at around 10 a.m. local time, according to the police in the state of New South Wales, where Sydney is located. Emergency services were called to the scene but the man had suffered critical injuries, losing both legs and a lot of blood, according to Superintendent John Duncan, the commander of the Northern Beaches Police Area.
The superintendent said the man, 57, had been an experienced surfer and had entered the water with five or six other people who were not injured. They were about 100 meters from shore when the attack occurred, Superintendent Duncan said.
In a statement, the police said two sections of a surfboard were retrieved and would be examined by experts. The police said the man was believed to have been bitten by a large shark and that experts would determine the species.
The local authorities and the police said beaches between Manly and Narrabeen, a stretch north of Sydney, would remain closed until Sunday. Many people were on Long Reef Beach at the time of the attack, the police said.
Shark attacks are relatively common in Australia. There had been three other deaths this year out of 17 shark-related incidents before Saturday, according to the Taronga Conservation Society’s database.
Long Reef Beach is near Dee Why, a Sydney suburb. It is among the many communities in New South Wales that have installed shark nets and drumlines, which catch sharks on hooks attached to buoys. The sharks are released after tagging.
Francesca Regalado is a Times reporter covering breaking news.
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