Overview
- A 34-year-old teacher and mother was bitten by a great white while swimming at Coogee Beach and pulled to shore by a 24-year-old surf lifesaver and bystanders.
- She suffered severe wounds including the amputation of one arm and has undergone further highly complex surgery and remains in intensive care on life support.
- Her family and partner are at her bedside and a GoFundMe set up for her care has raised more than $420,000 to help the household and medical costs.
- Premier Chris Minns declared a shark emergency to allow rapid use of contingency funds for non-lethal measures such as drone surveillance, jet-ski patrols and increased lifeguard presence.
- The attack follows a recent cluster of shark encounters in Australian waters and has reignited debate over shark-mitigation policy between technology-led non-lethal options and calls for lethal measures.