Woman seriously injured after shark attack in Sydney Harbor

SYDNEY (AP) — A woman suffered serious leg injuries after being attacked Monday by a suspected bull shark in Sydney Harbor, local authorities said.

The victim, a woman reported to be in her late 20s, was bitten on the right leg as she swam at Elizabeth Bay in Sydney’s east at about 8pm on Monday.

A witness said a local bystander helped the woman, who had dragged herself to safety onto a nearby wharf, by applying tourniquets to stem the bleeding until paramedics arrived.

New South Wales state police said in a statement that the woman had been taken to hospital and was “in a stable condition.” It added that its marine command was patrolling the area as a precaution.

Shark attacks in Sydney Harbor are rare but the area is known to be an important habitat for bull sharks and their young.

In 2009, an Australian navy clearance diver was mauled by a bull shark during a training exercise in the harbor. The attack tore off his arm and part of his leg.

In February 2022, a swimmer at a Sydney beach died after being attacked by what witnesses described as a 4 1/2-meter (15-foot) great white shark.

It was Sydney’s first fatal shark attack since 1963.