Woman critically injured in shark attack off Sydney’s Coogee Beach, multiple beaches closed
A woman in her 30s was pulled from the water with severe limb injuries after being bitten by a large shark about 30 metres from shore at Coogee Beach in Sydney, Australia's largest city. The attack prompted the closure of several popular beaches.
Incident at Coogee Beach
A woman swimmer was attacked by a shark around 11:15 a.m. on Saturday at Coogee Beach, a popular spot in eastern Sydney. Police said she was believed to be in her 30s and suffered serious injuries to her arms and legs. Bystanders pulled her from the water and began first aid before paramedics arrived. She was later airlifted from nearby Coogee Oval to hospital in critical condition.
She has large flesh wounds to the leg and the arms that are going to require a lot of surgery.
Witness Nicola Logan described seeing a "massive pool of blood" and a struggling swimmer.
I saw a massive pool of blood in the water, then a lady kind of motioning to swim, lots of splashing, and then a ski paddler was out trying to bring her in.
Beach closures and response
Coogee Beach and neighbouring Clovelly and Bronte beaches were shut for 24 hours. Surf lifesavers also cleared the water at Tamarama beach to the north. Police and a Careflight helicopter were deployed to the scene. Randwick Council Mayor Dylan Parker said officials were working with state authorities to determine when swimming could safely resume.
We'll be working closely with the New South Wales government, awaiting instruction as to when it is safe to reopen.
A deadly year for shark attacks
This incident is the latest in a deadly spate of shark attacks in Australia. Four people have been killed so far in 2026, including three spearfishing divers. On 16 May, Steve Mattabonni, 38, was fatally mauled by a 4-metre white shark off Perth. On 24 May, Michael Jensz, 39, died from head injuries sustained from a bull shark on the Great Barrier Reef. Last Saturday, Daniel Turpin, 35, was killed by a 4.5-metre white shark while spearfishing near Albany, Western Australia. A 12-year-old boy also died in January after being bitten by a bull shark in Sydney Harbour.
Last year Australia recorded five fatal attacks. Since 2000 the annual average is between two and three fatalities, according to the Australian Shark Incident Database. More than 260 of nearly 1,300 recorded encounters since 1791 have been fatal, with most occurring along the east and southeast coast.
- Steve Mattabonni, 38, killed by white shark while spearfishing off Perth.
- Michael Jensz, 39, killed by bull shark while spearfishing on Great Barrier Reef.
- Daniel Turpin, 35, killed by 4.5m white shark while spearfishing off Michaelmas Island.
- Woman critically injured by shark at Coogee Beach, Sydney.
Why are attacks increasing?
Scientists attribute the rising number of encounters to more people in the water for activities like surfing and scuba diving, as well as to warming ocean temperatures that may be altering shark migration patterns and bringing them closer to shore. Murky water after heavy rainfall, which attracts sharks and reduces visibility, has also been cited as a factor in previous clusters, including a series of four attacks in two days along the east coast in January.
