A Sydney private school has suspended small boat training after a suspected bull shark breached the Parramatta River metres from students during rowing practice, amid a cluster of shark incidents along the NSW coast.
The King’s School cancelled all small boat training after the shark leapt from the water at Silverwater on Monday, landing about 30 m from students on a training camp. Video footage obtained by Sydney Morning Herald showed the shark breaching the surface as shocked rowers returned to the pontoon without incident. The school said on-water sessions will be cancelled if conditions pose an elevated risk of capsize.
In a statement to parents, the school said it was introducing an “enhanced set of precautionary measures” to ensure student safety.
“As you are well aware from media reports, recent weather events have increased shark activity throughout the harbour and on our beaches with tragic consequences,” the statement said.
Four attacks in 48 hours
The precautionary measure follows four shark attacks within 48 hours at beaches across NSW, leaving two people in critical condition and prompting the closure of around 40 beaches along the eastern coast.
A 12-year-old boy was rescued from the water by mates near Shark Beach in Vaucluse about 4:20pm on Sunday after jumping from a 6m rock ledge. The boy, a nipper at North Bondi Surf Lifesaving Club, was taken to Sydney Children’s Hospital in a critical condition with devastating leg injuries.
On Monday, a 27-year-old surfer suffered severe leg injuries at North Steyne Beach in Manly. Bystanders pulled him from the water and administered first aid before paramedics transported him to Royal North Shore Hospital in critical condition.
Surf Life Saving NSW chief executive Steve Pearce described the incidents as a “traumatic and horrendous scene.”
The NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPI) suspected bull sharks were involved in all four incidents, based on bite characteristics and environmental conditions.
An 11-year-old boy escaped injury at Dee Why Beach on Monday when a shark took a 15 cm bite from his surfboard. A 39-year-old surfer was treated for minor cuts at Kempsey District Hospital after a shark bit his board at Point Plomer on Tuesday.
Heavy rain raises risks
A DPI spokesperson said recent weather along the NSW coast continues to create conditions that significantly increase the likelihood of shark activity.
“Water conditions in the harbour are brackish following heavy rain and runoff, which can worsen visibility,” the spokesperson said. “Advice from experts is to avoid swimming in low visibility, murky water.”
Vincent Raoult, senior lecturer in marine ecology at Griffith University, said it can take up to a week after heavy rain for the water to clear and the risk from bull sharks to ease.
All northern beaches have been closed for 48 hours, with lifeguards patrolling on jet skis and drones conducting surveillance.