12-year-old fighting for life after shark attack at Sydney Harbour Beach, prompting major emergency response

A 12-year-old boy is fighting for his life after being mauled by a shark at a popular Sydney harbour beach on Sunday afternoon(January 18), triggering a major emergency response and forcing the immediate closure of Nielsen Park in the city’s eastern suburbs.

The attack unfolded shortly after 4.20 pm at the Vaucluse swimming spot, also known as Shark Beach, where the boy suffered critical injuries to both legs and was airlifted under intensive care to Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick, as stunned beachgoers looked on.

According to Trackingshark website, Australia has recorded 15 shark bites in 2025, including one provoked incident and five fatal attacks.


The boy is believed to have been jumping off rocks at one end of the beach at the time the shark struck. New South Wales police said first responders treated the boy at the scene, applying tourniquets to his injuries.

According to News.com.au website, a NSW Ambulance spokesperson said the response involved multiple emergency resources, with intensive care paramedics and aeromedical crews, including the CareFlight helicopter, dispatched to the scene.

“The patient, a teenage boy with critical injuries to both of his legs, was transported to Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick, in a critical condition,” the spokesperson added. “The beach has been closed, and swimmers are advised to avoid swimming in the water at this time.”