A 12-year-old boy, Nico Antic, is fighting for his life after being attacked by a shark while swimming with friends at a popular rock-jumping spot near Shark Beach in Sydney’s Vaucluse area. Believed to be a bull shark attack, the incident unfolded rapidly as one friend jumped into the water to help while others pulled Nico onto a nearby rock platform, where he lost consciousness. Emergency responders transferred him to a police marine boat, performed CPR, applied tourniquets to his severely injured legs, and rushed him to Sydney Children’s Hospital. Nico, a Nipper with the North Bondi Surf Life Saving Club, was placed in an induced coma, underwent surgery, and received multiple blood transfusions. Conflicting reports say he is either on life support or alive but in critical condition. A GoFundMe fundraiser organized by family friend Victor Piñeiro has raised around $65,000 to support the family during what he described as a “heartbreaking” and devastating time.

The attack is part of a troubling cluster of shark incidents around Sydney in recent days. Just kilometers away, an 11-year-old boy narrowly escaped death when a large shark bit through his surfboard, throwing him into the water. Surf Life Saving NSW chief Steven Pearce said the boy was extremely lucky to survive, noting his father was nearby at the time. Later the same day, a man in his 20s was also attacked at Manly Beach and remains in critical condition. Authorities have since closed all Northern Beaches as investigations continue. Bull sharks are believed to be responsible for the first two attacks, while the species involved in the third remains unconfirmed. A piece of the damaged surfboard has been sent to fisheries officials to help identify the shark involved.