Australian boy dies after shark attack in Sydney Harbour

Tragic news from Sydney Harbour: 12-year-old Nico Antic has died after a shark attack, prompting multiple beach closures along Australia's east coast.

Sam McKeith/Reuters

24 January 2026 at 06:56:26

Australian boy dies after shark attack in Sydney Harbour

FILE PHOTO: A lifeguards places a sign at Manly Beach, after a man was attacked by a shark in the afternoon, the second attack in Sydney's northern beaches on the day and the third attack in 24 hours, Australia, January 19, 2026.

Jeremy Piper/Reuters

An Australian boy had died in hospital after being bitten by a shark in Sydney Harbour, his family said on Saturday after a series of shark attacks along the country's east coast.

Nico Antic, 12, was attacked on Sunday as he and friends were jumping off rocks in Vaucluse, around 9 km (5.5 miles) from Sydney's central business district. He was pulled from the water by friends and taken to hospital with severe injuries to both legs.

"We are heartbroken to share that our son, Nico, has passed away," the family said in a statement. "Nico was a happy, friendly, and sporty young boy with the most kind and generous spirit. He was always full of life and that’s how we'll remember him."

Dozens of beaches, including in Sydney, were closed this week after four shark attacks in two days, as heavy rains left waters murky and more likely to attract the animals.

In September, a surfer was killed by a large shark at Sydney's Long Reef beach.

Australia averages 20 shark attacks a year, fewer than three of them fatal, according to data from conservation groups. Those numbers are dwarfed by drownings on the country's beaches.

-Sam McKeith/Reuters