A Swiss couple swimming early north of Sydney were attacked by a three-metre bull shark. Livia Mühlheim, 25, died at the scene; her partner Lukas Schindler, 26, managed to carry her to shore and was airlifted to hospital, now in serious but stable condition. Authorities closed nearby beaches, deployed drones and set baited hooks while police review GoPro footage. Experts say attacks on two people by the same shark are very rare, and researchers point to coastal population growth and climate-driven shifts as contributing factors to rising encounters.
Swiss Woman Killed and Partner Severely Injured in Rare Bull Shark Attack Off New South Wales
A Swiss couple on an early-morning swim north of Sydney were attacked by a three-metre bull shark, leaving 25-year-old Livia Mühlheim dead and her 26-year-old partner, Lukas Schindler, critically injured.
Attack and rescue
Police say the shark first bit Ms Mühlheim while she was using a GoPro to film a pod of dolphins. Mr Schindler attempted to intervene and suffered severe leg injuries during the same incident. Despite his wounds, he carried his partner roughly 50 metres back to shore, where a bystander and emergency crews provided help.
Paramedics later confirmed Ms Mühlheim died at the scene. Mr Schindler was airlifted to hospital in critical condition and has since been described as serious but stable. Josh Smyth, a paramedic at the scene, said a bystander improvised a tourniquet for Mr Schindler’s leg and that action likely saved his life.
Response and investigation
The attack occurred near a beach in Crowdy Bay National Park, about a four-hour drive north of Sydney — an area popular for beach camping, fishing and hiking. Police are reviewing the victims’ GoPro footage and investigating to confirm the shark’s identity.
Beaches in the area and to the north were closed to swimmers indefinitely while authorities deployed surveillance drones and tried to catch the shark using baited hooks.
Context and expert view
“It is very unusual,” said Gavin Naylor, director of the University of Florida’s shark research program, noting that attacks on two people by the same shark are particularly rare.
Shark encounters in Australia remain uncommon but frequently attract wide attention. So far this year there have been about 20 recorded shark encounters nationally, including five fatal unprovoked attacks. Researchers point to coastal population growth (more people in the water), climate-driven shifts in shark habitat and changes to prey distribution as possible factors behind recent changes in encounter patterns.
Past incidents
The report recalled a 2019 incident in which two British tourists were attacked by a single shark while snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef, and noted a more recent suspected great white fatality in September when 57-year-old surfer Mercury Psillakis was killed off Sydney’s Long Reef Beach.
Authorities continue to investigate this attack. Police and wildlife officers are urging beachgoers to follow closures and safety advice while the search and forensic review of footage continue.
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