A peaceful summer afternoon at a popular Sydney harbour swimming spot turned tragic when 12-year-old Nico Antic was mauled by a shark, shocking his family and the community. Nico was swimming near a rock-jumping area at Shark Beach when a bull shark attacked. Friends quickly pulled him from the water, but he had already lost consciousness.
Emergency services arrived swiftly, performing CPR and applying tourniquets before rushing him to Sydney Children’s Hospital, where he underwent emergency surgery and multiple blood transfusions. Nico, a junior lifesaver with North Bondi Surf Life Saving Club, was known for his confidence in the water, making the incident even more devastating.
A fundraiser was launched to support his family, quickly raising over $65,000. Reports of Nico’s condition have varied, with some saying he remains in critical condition on life support.
The attack is part of a series of recent shark encounters along Sydney’s coastline. Earlier, an 11-year-old was attacked but escaped thanks to his father, and later a man in his twenties was bitten at Manly Beach. Authorities have closed Northern Beaches, increased patrols, and are investigating the cause, highlighting the dangers bull sharks pose in harbour environments.
The community remains in shock, with attention focused on Nico’s recovery and his family’s ordeal, as Sydney grapples with fear and the fragility of its once-safe swimming spots.