Sydney Harbour Splash has been cancelled after the shark attack at Vaucluse. Photo / Facebook
Sydney Harbour Splash has been cancelled after the shark attack at Vaucluse. Photo / Facebook
A major Australia Day event has been cancelled after the four shark attacks in three days along NSW’s coast.
The Sydney Harbour Splash announced it would cancel its Australia Day event at Vaucluse, where a 12-year-old boy was critically injured by a shark.
In a statement online, the organisers saidthe cancellation was a “difficult decision”.
“This decision has been made following extensive consultation with NSW Police and experienced, senior harbour and waterways personnel, as well as our event partners,” the statement read.
“This cancellation is made out of deep respect for the young boy who was tragically attacked yesterday, and for his family and friends.
Emergency services were called to the camping ground at Point Plomer in Port Macquarie after reports of multiple sharks in the water.
A group of surfers reportedly saw four sharks, believed to be bull sharks, in the water before a man was knocked off his surfboard, and had a chunk of his board bitten.
The Daily Telegraph reports the surfer was bitten through his wetsuit, and had a chunk taken out of his surfboard.
A 39-year-old man has been transported to Kempsey Hospital by a bystander, where he remains in a stable condition, a Mid North Coast Local Health District spokesman confirmed.
The beach at Point Plomer remains closed, SharkSmart confirmed online.
NSW Surf Life Saving chief executive officer Steve Pearce told 2GB the surfer was lucky to escape the shark’s bite.
“There were multiple sharks in the water, but fortunately the surfer only sustained minor leg injuries,” he said.
He explained the area was isolated and known for its sharks.
“Point Plomer is known for a bit of shark activity,” he said.
There were no 111 calls made at the time of the attack.
This is the fourth shark attack along the NSW coast in the span of three days.
A 12-year-old boy sustained critical leg injuries after he was bitten by a bull shark while with friends at The Hermitage Foreshore Walk near Shark Beach, in Vaucluse on Sunday afternoon.
The boy was transported to the Children’s Hospital in Randwick in a critical condition.
The following day, an 11-year-old boy narrowly escaped injury about 11am Monday after he was knocked off his board by a bull shark at Dee Why beach.
A third shark attack occurred about 6.20pm the same day, leaving a 27-year-old surfer with critical injuries after he was bitten by a shark.
He remains at the Royal North Shore Hospital in a critical but stable condition.
Sign up to Herald Premium Editor’s Picks, delivered straight to your inbox every Friday. Editor-in-Chief Murray Kirkness picks the week’s best features, interviews and investigations. Sign up for Herald Premium here.
