Beaches have been closed following a shark attack at an isolated NSW beach that has left a woman fighting for her life with severe leg injuries.
The incident happened at Gunyah Beach near Bundeena, in Port Hacking, Sydney’s south, about 1:30 p.m. on Friday.
Emergency services rushed to the area where the 59-year-old woman had been pulled from the water by two men.
She was treated at the scene by paramedics who arrived about 19 minutes later, before she was carried out to a nearby ambulance.
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“Where she was was quite an isolated part of the beach, there was only pedestrian access through 50 stairs,” NSW Ambulance acting inspector Andrew Bibby said.
“But we loaded her onto one of our boards and carried her around about 800 meters to Bundeena wharf where we could load her into an ambulance.”
A Sutherland Shire Police spokesperson said the woman was swimming about 15 meters from shore when she was attacked.
“She screamed for help and two men entered the water and moved her to shore and administered first aid,” a spokesman said.
“The woman sustained severe injuries to her leg and is in a critical condition.”
Paramedics drove the woman to Bundeena Oval where she was flown to St George Hospital by Toll Helicopter.
The Department of Primary Industries is attempting to identify the species of shark involved in the attack.
Marine Area Command conducted extensive patrols with police but have been unable to locate the shark.
“All beaches in the local vicinity have been closed with the general public advised not to swim,” a spokesman said.
A man who witnessed the attack said he heard the woman scream and several people ran into the water to help her.
“A woman with deep lacerations above the right knee. People were quick to jump in the water to bring her to shore and to apply pressure to stop the bleeding,” Kevin McKay said.
“Local paramedics arrived within 19 minutes. I think she will be okay.”
The Sutherland Shire has closed all Bate Bay beaches around Cronulla, Elouera, Wanda, Greenhills, Hordens, Gunyah and Silver until further notice.
“In the interests of public safety, beachgoers are asked to follow instructions from our lifeguards and to obey signage displayed on site,” a shire spokesman said.
There have been several shark attacks in Australia this summer.
Charlize Zmuda, 17, was killed when she was bitten at Bribie Island’s Woorim Beach suffering fatal injuries to her upper body on Feb. 3.
Youth pastor Luke Walford died after being attacked in Queensland’s Keppel Bay Islands National Park in December.
Another man in Queensland was flown to hospital after being bitten by a shark at The Wrecks Walking Track on Moreton Island, a popular tourist destination north of Brisbane.
The 29-year-old had abdominal injuries and lacerations to his leg.
Surfer Lance Appleby, 28, went missing after he was attacked by a shark on the Eyre Peninsula in January.
Appleby was surfing at Granites Beach, 170 miles south of Adelaide, when witnesses saw a shark attack him.
Another surfer in Western Australia is lucky to be alive after a bronze whaler took a chunk out of his board in Albany.
Dale Kittow, 37, was hoping to catch a few waves at Cheynes Beach when a shark started circling then charged at his board.