It was the first fatal Shark attack near Little Bay in Sydney, since 1963.
On Thursday, Sydney authorities established baited lines in order to try and catch a giant great white shark that cram down an ocean swimmer.
Beach communities in Australia’s largest city, Sydney were rocked by the first fatal attack that happened in decades.
Drones scrubbed the ocean from the air. The spotters launched on boats and six drum lines were set in order to try and catch the creature, who is at least three metres (10 feet) in length.
Police believes that they have identified the victim, that is, a 35-year-old ocean swimmer who was attacked on a sunny Wednesday afternoon.
The swimmer left the fishermen and golfers shocked who were watching helplessly from nearby cliffs.
A rescue helicopter and four ambulances were dispatched immediately but the victim expired after suffering what is described by emergency responders as catastrophic injuries.
Since 1963, It was the first fatal shark attack in Sydney.
The state government’s Department of Primary Industries said that Shark biologists based on footage provided by the public including eyewitness accounts believes that a White Shark, at least three metres in length was likely responsible for this.
The department announced it was disposing six SMART drumlines around Little Bay Beach, near the place where the attack occurred in the city’s east.
The use of drumlines is controversial because hooked animals have been known to die before being moved, and non-target species can become ripped.
The attack has given a shock to beach communities in Sydney’s east, as being in the water is a part of everyday life there.
Every morning before dawn and later when the sun sets, surfers, swimmers, and paddle boarders move towards the waves to work out or take a break from the hassle of work life.
Sports Australia reports that 4.5 million Aussies swim regularly and at least 500,000 people surf.
Whales, dolphins, rays and several species of shark live along the coast and it is not unique to spot animals in the water, or to hear the ringing of shark alarms pushing everyone back to the beach.
But most Sydney siders take the risk in their stride.
45-year-old Kim Miller, who took up ocean swimming when she returned to Sydney in 2020 said that they all know that they are signing up for a risk every time they get in the water.
At the start, she admitted also that she was scared of seaweed and fish, as she has a real fear around it.
She added that when she first started watching grey nurse sharks at Maroubra, she thought she would run on water. But it was such a peaceful, beautiful experience that she saw herself diving down to get closer to the sharks.
An 800-competitor ocean swimming race scheduled for the area on Sunday was postponed.
Miller said that it hit them a little bit closer after hearing that it was a long-distance ocean swimmer, knowing it’s a route that they have done so many times. She felt a little bit sick this afternoon.
On Thursday, her morning swim was confined to an ocean pool, but she insisted that eventually everyone has to gather the courage to get back in.
She added that she knows that it’s going to take a while to get those images out of her head. It will take some time to get back to being normal.
