A 12-year-old boy died this Saturday in Australia after being hospitalized since last Sunday, after being attacked by a shark while swimming in Sydney Harbour. The death was confirmed by his family through a statement released by Randwick Children’s Hospital, east of the city.
The minor was identified as Nico Antic. In the text, his parents described him as “a cheerful, friendly and athletic young man, with a kind and generous spirit.” “He was always full of life and that is how we will remember him,” they expressed.
The family said they felt “devastated” and thanked the work of the first responders and medical staff “for everything they did to care for Nico,” in addition to asking for respect for their privacy “in these very difficult times.”
The attack occurred around 4:20 p.m. local time on Sunday, when the boy was with a group of friends y jumped from a rocky ledge about six meters high towards the shallow and murky waters of the port.
According to the New South Wales Police, the quick reaction of friends of the minor – who jumped into the water to help him before the rescuers arrived – was key to assisting him in the first minutes after the attack.
Then, members of the maritime police managed to get him out of the water, placed him tourniquets on both legs to stop bleeding and he was rushed to a hospital. He remained in intensive care for several days with serious injuries to his lower extremities, until he finally died.
According to the first investigations, the attack would have been caused by a bull sharka common species in Sydney Harbour.
Between Sunday and Tuesday, four shark attacks were recorded in Australia, including the one that ended with the death of the minor. In the other cases, one person suffered serious injuries and two had minor injuries.
The bull shark is one of the best-known species in Australian waters due to its size and aggressiveness, and its ability to move in both salt and fresh waters. This allows it to enter estuaries and coastal areas with a large influx of bathers and fishermen.
These specimens can exceed three meters in length and are among those mainly responsible for encounters between sharks and humans on the east coast of the country, including Sydney Bay, where they are often attracted by schools of fish and murky waters, especially after heavy rains.
In 2025, at least a dozen shark attacks were recorded in Australia, including five fatal cases. According to a national database of incidents, between 1791 and 2025 more than 1,280 attacks were recorded, of which around 260 were fatal.
Source: EFE
