SYDNEY, Australia: A 12-year-old boy has died in hospital after being bitten by a shark in Sydney Harbour, his family said on Saturday. The attack is the latest in a series of shark incidents along Australia’s east coast.
Nico Antic was attacked on 18 January while jumping off rocks with friends in Vaucluse, about 9km from Sydney’s central business district. Authorities suspect the shark was a bull shark.
Friends pulled Nico from the water after the attack. He was taken to Sydney Children’s Hospital with severe injuries to both legs.
He underwent surgery and was placed in an induced coma.
“We are heartbroken to share that our son, Nico, has passed away,” his parents Lorena and Juan Antic said in a statement.
“Nico was a happy, friendly, and sporty young boy with the most kind and generous spirit. He was always full of life, and that’s how we’ll remember him.”
Nico’s friends were praised for their bravery in helping him out of the water.
An online fundraiser for the family has raised AU$240,000 (£121,308). The Antics family are originally from Argentina.
Spate of shark attacks
The attack on Nico was one of four reported shark incidents along the New South Wales coast over two days.
On Monday, a surfer on Sydney’s northern beaches escaped unharmed from a lurking shark. Hours later, a 27-year-old man suffered “life-changing” injuries in a separate attack at a nearby beach.
The following day, a 39-year-old man on the Mid North Coast was bitten on the chest and taken to hospital.
Experts say the recent heavy rains have created ideal conditions for bull sharks, which prefer murky waters.
Rain also flushes nutrients into the water, attracting sharks closer to the shore.
In response, dozens of beaches across Sydney were closed to protect the public.
Many reopened for the Australia Day long weekend after weather conditions improved.
Australia averages around 20 shark attacks per year, with fewer than three fatalities, according to conservation data.
Experts note that drownings at beaches are far more common than shark attacks.
In September, a surfer was killed by a large shark at Sydney’s Long Reef Beach, highlighting the ongoing risks posed by sharks along the east coast.
