Fourth shark attack in three days rocks Australia as authorities close beaches and deploy drumlines

A surfer successful Australia escaped a shark onslaught with insignificant injuries connected Tuesday, marking the 4th shark onslaught disconnected the country’s astir populous authorities successful conscionable 3 days.

The shark struck astir 9 a.m. astatine Point Plomer, astir 290 miles northbound of Sydney, damaging the 39-year-old man’s surfboard, officials said. The surfer suffered lone insignificant cuts.

"The committee seemed to instrumentality astir of the impact," Matt Worrall, skipper of the Kempsey–Crescent Head Surf Life Saving Club, told Australian Broadcasting Corp. "He made his ain mode into enactment wherever helium was assisted by locals."

Bystanders drove the surfer to a hospital, wherever helium was treated and aboriginal released.

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People locomotion connected the soil astatine North Steyne Beach successful Sydney, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026, aft a bid of shark attacks. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)

The latest incidental follows a drawstring of attacks on the New South Wales coast. On Sunday and Monday, a antheral and a lad suffered captious limb injuries successful abstracted attacks adjacent Sydney, portion different lad escaped unharmed aft a shark spot his surfboard.

Authorities closed beaches on New South Wales’ bluish seashore and successful bluish Sydney, saying the closures would stay successful spot for astatine slightest 48 hours. Electronic drumlines designed to alert officials to the beingness of ample sharks were deployed offshore.

A mates look retired to oversea astatine North Steyne Beach successful Sydney, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026, aft a bid of shark attacks. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)

"If anyone's reasoning of heading into the surf this greeting anyplace on the bluish beaches, deliberation again. We person specified mediocre h2o prime that’s truly conducive to immoderate bull shark activity," Surf Life Saving NSW main enforcement Steve Pearce said.

"If you're reasoning astir going for a swim, conscionable spell to a section excavation due to the fact that astatine this stage, we’re advising that beaches are unsafe," Peace added.

A antheral is stationed astatine North Steyne Beach successful Sydney arsenic helium uses a drone to scan the water, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026, aft a bid of shark attacks. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)

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Authorities judge bull sharks are apt liable for respective of the attacks astir Sydney, noting that caller dense rainfall has accrued murky freshwater runoff into Sydney Harbor.

Authorities judge bull sharks, similar the 1 pictured above, whitethorn person been liable for astatine slightest 2 of the earlier shark attacks. (Luis Javier Sandoval/VW Pics/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

One of the astir superior attacks happened Sunday erstwhile a 12-year-old lad was attacked aft jumping from a 20-foot ledge known arsenic Jump Rock adjacent Shark Beach successful eastbound Sydney. Police said the lad survived lone due to the fact that friends leapt into the h2o and pulled him to shore. Local media reported helium mislaid some legs.

"He is successful for the combat of his beingness now, and the actions of exigency services yesterday gave him that chance," said Superintendent Joseph McNulty of the New South Wales Police Marine Area Command.

A nett runs into Sydney Harbour astatine a closed formation astatine Vaucluse successful Sydney, Monday, Jan. 19, 2026, a time aft a 12-year-old lad was attacked by a shark. (Sitthixay Ditthavong/AAP Image via AP)

An 11-year-old lad escaped unharmed Monday aft a shark spot his surfboard astatine Dee Why Beach, and aboriginal that evening a surfer successful his 20s was bitten connected the limb astatine North Steyne Beach and hospitalized successful captious condition.

Sydney’s bluish beaches, including Dee Why and North Steyne, remained closed. Officials said it was unclear whether the attacks occurred adjacent shark netting. Pearce said the Point Plomer country is isolated and does not person nets.

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Dee Why Beach is adjacent the tract wherever a 57-year-old surfer was killed by a suspected large achromatic shark past September. In November, a 25-year-old Swiss tourer was killed and her spouse earnestly injured successful a abstracted onslaught northbound of Sydney.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.