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Fatal Shark Attack at Crowdy Bay National Park Kills Woman, Seriously Injures Man

A shark attack at Crowdy Bay National Park early Thursday killed a woman and seriously injured a man in their mid-20s. A bystander applied a makeshift tourniquet that paramedics say likely saved the surviving swimmer, who was airlifted to hospital in serious but stable condition. Nearby beaches have been closed and authorities plan to deploy drumlines while working with experts to identify the shark and investigate the circumstances. Shark researchers say it is rare for a single shark to bite more than one person and that local prey or shark size may help explain the incident.

09:10 AM, 11/27/2025Society
Fatal Shark Attack at Crowdy Bay National Park Kills Woman, Seriously Injures Man

A shark attacked two people swimming at Crowdy Bay National Park early Thursday, killing a woman and seriously injuring a man in their mid-20s, police said.

Crowdy Bay, a popular area for beach camping, fishing and hiking about 360 kilometers (224 miles) north of Sydney, was the scene of the incident. Local authorities closed beaches in the area and to the north indefinitely while investigators and marine experts work to assess the situation.

Emergency crews were alerted after reports that two people had been bitten at about 6:30 a.m. A bystander pulled both victims from the water before ambulance paramedics arrived. The woman died at the scene; the man was airlifted to hospital in a serious but stable condition. Their identities have not been released.

Police Chief Inspector Timothy Bayly said investigators are still piecing together the circumstances. "At this stage, all I’m prepared to say is they were known to each other and they were going for a swim and the shark attacked," he told reporters.

New South Wales paramedic Josh Smyth praised the bystander who applied a makeshift tourniquet to the man's leg, saying that immediate first aid likely prevented a second fatality. "That action potentially saved his life and allowed paramedics to render further care," Smyth said.

Police said they will work with marine scientists to determine the species involved and expected to deploy drumlines — baited hooks suspended from floats — in an effort to catch the shark and better understand its behavior. Authorities declined to release more specific details about the injuries while the investigation continues.

Gavin Naylor, director of the University of Florida’s shark research program and manager of the International Shark Attack File, said single sharks biting more than one person is exceptionally rare. He noted investigators need details about the shark’s size, behavior and local prey activity to assess what motivated the attack.

"Sometimes younger sharks can be less discerning, and attacks are more likely in areas with active feeding or nearby seal colonies," Naylor said. He added that when a single shark has bitten multiple people in the past, tiger sharks have often been implicated.

Earlier this year, in September, a man in his 50s was fatally attacked off a Sydney beach; parts of his surfboard were recovered at the scene. That and other recent incidents have heightened local concern and prompted increased monitoring of coastal waters.

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