A 12-year-old boy, Nico Antic, has died after he was bitten by a shark in Australia’s Sydney Harbour, his family confirmed on Saturday.
The incident occurred last week in the eastern Sydney suburb of Vaucluse, where Antic and his friends were said to be jumping into the water from a six-metre rock when a large shark attacked.
In a statement, his parents, Lorena and Juan Antic, said the family was devastated by the loss.
“We are heartbroken to share that our son, Nico, has passed away,” they said.
Police said the water in the area was murky at the time due to heavy rainfall, which had drained into the harbour.
Antic reportedly suffered severe bleeding before he was rescued and taken aboard a police boat, from where he was rushed to hospital in critical condition.
Describing their son, the parents said he was full of life and known for his warm personality.
“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,” they said.
The fatal incident was among four shark attacks recorded within two days in Sydney, prompting authorities to shut several beaches across the city.
It was also the third shark-related death recorded in the Sydney area in recent months.
In September, a great white shark killed a surfer, Mercury Psillakis, at a popular northern Sydney beach.
Two months later, a woman was also killed by a bull shark while swimming at a remote beach north of the city.
Australian scientists have linked the rising number of encounters to increasing human activity in coastal waters and warming ocean temperatures, which may be altering sharks’ migration routes.