MELBOURNE, Sept. 5 (Reuters) – A surfer was killed Sunday after being bitten by a shark on a surf beach on the east coast of Australia, paramedics added.
The incident took place on Emerald Beach, about 550 km (342 miles) north of Sydney.
“Despite the best efforts of attendees, paramedics and other emergency services, the patient died sadly at the scene,” New South Wales Ambulance said on its Twitter account.
The beach, about 20 km (12 miles) north of Coffs Harbor, was closed after the incident, Coffs Harbor lifeguard officials reported.
The surfer was believed to be about 20 years old and was bitten on the arm, media reported.
Australia ranked just behind the United States in the number of unprovoked shark encounters with humans in 2019, according to the University of Florida’s international file of shark attacks.
Report by Lidia Kelly Edited by Robert Birsel
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