Great White Shark Kills Surfer As He Tries To Warn Others on Beach To Flee

A man who was killed by a shark while surfing off the Australian coast tried to warn others on the beach before the fatal incident.

The man, a surfer believed to be in his 50s, was dragged out of the water and onto Tuncurry Beach off the New South Wales coast by onlookers after being attacked by a shark on Tuesday morning.

Shortly afterward, at around 11 a.m., medics arrived after receiving multiple reports of the attack, according to a statement by New South Wales Police.

At least five ambulance teams responded to the scene, as paramedics performed CPR on the man, who had suffered severe injuries to his right thigh in the incident.

However, in a statement later that day, New South Wales Ambulance confirmed that "despite the best efforts of paramedics and bystanders at the scene, the man could not be resuscitated."

The authorities have not yet released the name of the man killed in the attack on Tuesday, while scientists from the NSW Department of Primary Industry have determined that he was attacked by a white shark.

Tuncurry Beach and nearby Forster Main Beach are closed while government agencies investigate the incident. Drones have been deployed in the area to help search for the shark responsible.

NSW Police Superintendent Chris Schilt told reporters on Tuesday that the man attempted to warn others to flee the scene prior to being attacked.

"It's believed that when the attack occurred the man did actually see the shark and called out to try to warn others and very heroically his friends were able to bring him back into shore after he had been attacked," Schilt said.

The man's death is believed to be the first fatal shark attack in Australia this year, according to the Taronga Conservation Society, which collects data on incidents between humans and sharks.

The society has recorded two other shark attacks in Australian waters in 2021, with one in New South Wales and the other in Western Australia.

Initial reports in January suggested that 32-year-old Duncan Crawe had been killed in a shark attack in southern Australia, after his body was found in a torn wetsuit beside his flippers in the sea.

However, an autopsy discovered that Crawe instead died of an undisclosed medical condition before parts of his body were then eaten by a shark.

Australia recorded eight fatal shark attacks in 2020, a large increase from the zero that was seen in the country the year prior, despite 23 provoked and unprovoked attacks.

Newsweek has contacted the NSW Police Department for additional comment about the fatal attack.