Overview
- Water police rescued an approximately 13-year-old who was bitten while wading in shallow water in Sydney Harbour.
- The boy sustained severe wounds to both legs and was taken in critical condition to a children's hospital.
- The incident occurred Sunday afternoon near Nielsen Park's Shark Beach in the eastern suburb of Vaucluse.
- Officials shut the beach and urged people to avoid nearby waters as evidence points to a possibly large shark and the species remains unidentified.
- Official 2025 data indicate Australia averages about 20 shark incidents with injuries each year and roughly 2.8 deaths annually.