An Australian boy is in critical condition after being severely bitten by a shark in Sydney Harbour amid several days of continuous heavy rain, which was a key factor allowing the shark to enter the urban area.
The unexpected incident occurred at a beach in the Wavcluse area, about 9 kilometers from Sydney’s central business district, inside Sydney Harbour. The boy was jumping into the water from a rock about 6 meters high with friends in the late afternoon when the shark suddenly attacked.
New South Wales police revealed that the recent heavy rainfall caused a large influx of freshwater into the harbour, making the water murky and brackish, conditions preferred by bull sharks, also known as Zambezi sharks.
Police Commander Joseph McNulty stated that the mix of freshwater and brackish water, combined with the disturbance caused by jumping into the water, may have created the perfect conditions for a shark attack to occur.
After being bitten, the boy was pulled from the water by friends before emergency personnel arrived. Police took the unconscious boy onto a patrol boat and administered first aid by applying tourniquets to both legs to stop severe bleeding.
Officials attempted resuscitation while rushing the boat across the harbour to the wharf, where an ambulance awaited to transport him to Sydney Children’s Hospital.
The boy remains in the intensive care unit (ICU) with his family and friends by his side at all times.
Data shows that since 1791, there have been over 1,280 shark attacks on humans in Australia, with more than 250 fatalities. Currently, Australia averages about 20 shark attacks per year, with fewer than three fatalities annually, which is lower than drowning and other maritime accident statistics.
However, scientists warn that rising sea temperatures and increasingly crowded coastal areas could alter shark migration patterns and increase the risk of encounters with humans.
Previously, in September, a surfer died after a great white shark attacked him at a northern Sydney beach, and two months later, a woman was fatally bitten by a bull shark while swimming at a remote northern beach.
:sourcechannelnewsasia
Click to read more aboutshark attack