A swimmer has died after a shark attacked him at a beach in Sydney, Australia. Authorities discovered human remains in the water Wednesday.
A witness told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. he was fishing off some rocks on the shore and saw a man swimming before being dragged underwater by a shark.
“He was yelling at first, and then when he went down there were so many splashes,” the man told ABC. “It was terrible. I am shaking. I keep vomiting. It’s very, very upsetting. He just went down for a swim, enjoying the day, but that shark took his life.”
Police conducted an extensive search involving several rescue helicopters.
“Unfortunately this person had suffered catastrophic injuries as a result of the attack and there was nothing paramedics could do when we arrived on the scene,” Inspector Lucky Phrachanh said.
The Randwick city council has closed area beaches for at least 24 hours after the attack.
“The coast is our community’s backyard. Little Bay is normally such a calm, beautiful place enjoyed by families,” Randwick Mayor Dylan Parker told reporters. “To lose someone to a shark attack like this is chilling. We are all in shock.”
The incident is Sydney’s first fatal shark attack since 1963.
• Peter Santo can be reached at psanto@washingtontimes.com.
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