DANGEROUS WATERS

Shark Attacks Swimmer at Busy Inner-City Beach

The woman is in critical condition.

A woman swimming laps close to shore was attacked by a shark at Sydney’s Coogee Beach on Saturday morning. Witnesses said the woman was bitten on the torso, and there was a lot of blood in the water. “The woman was pulled from the water by members of the public who commenced first aid before the arrival of emergency services,” a New South Wales Police spokesperson said. The 35-year-old woman was given first aid at the scene while they waited for a helicopter to airlift her to hospital. “Police cleared nearby Coogee Oval to facilitate the landing of the Careflight helicopter to airlift the woman to hospital.” Waverley Council, the municipal body that oversees Coogee beach in Sydney’s inner-east, said they had closed all beaches following the attack as a precaution. Since January, there have been nine reported shark attacks off the Australian coast, four fatal.