A middle-aged man reportedly lost his life in a shark attack while surfing at Sydney’s Long Reef Beach, with both legs severed and his surfboard cut in half.
This incident marks the second deadly shark attack in Sydney since a 35-year-old British diving instructor was killed in February 2022, making it the first such fatality since 1963.
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The victim, whose identity remains undisclosed, was pulled ashore at Long Reef Beach but did not survive. He was an experienced surfer in his 50s who was attacked approximately 100 meters from the shore while surfing with friends.
His legs were reportedly lost, and his surfboard was severed in the attack. The shark species responsible has yet to be identified.
Visuals from the scene showed authorities gathering on the shore and ambulances positioned nearby. Drones were used to scan the beach for shark activity, as reported by ABC.
The fatal incident occurred in the morning near an unpattrolled area of the beach. Beaches from Manly to Narrabeen were closed for at least 24 hours, with nearby surf life-saving clubs canceling all water activities and training for the weekend.

An anonymous surfer confirmed that the victim had been surfing near Long Reef and Dee Why beaches.
“Four or five surfers pulled him out of the water, and it seemed like a significant portion of his lower body had been attacked,” the surfer reported to Sydney’s Daily Telegraph.
There have been three other fatal shark attacks in Australia in 2025, according to data from the state-run operator of Sydney’s Taronga Zoo.
In March, a surfer was killed by a shark in shallow water on a remote beach in Western Australia.
In February, a shark fatally attacked a 17-year-old girl swimming near an eastern Australian island, and a 28-year-old surfer was killed in South Australia a month prior.
On December 28, a shark fatally bit a 40-year-old man in the neck while he was spearfishing off Queensland.
Since 1791, there have been at least 1,280 shark incidents in Australia, resulting in over 250 fatalities, according to a database of interactions between sharks and humans.