A shark incident at Cabarita beach, located about 35km north of Byron Bay, resulted in a significant chunk being bitten off a surfer’s board on Monday. The New South Wales beach has been temporarily closed, and professional surfer Kelly Slater commended the rider’s unharmed escape, calling it “incredible”.
No one was injured in the incident, as confirmed by the Tweed Shire council, which also mentioned that the beach is currently closed to the public.
The council’s Facebook page celebrated the fortunate miss, stating “the bite missed the rider”.
Online photos depict the surfer on shore, showing a board with a large, distinct bite mark and broken in half.
Surveillance footage from a local beach camera captured a disturbance in the water just before 7:30 AM.
Kelly Slater, an eleven-time world surf champion, voiced relief and fear after viewing the photos of the incident.
“Incredible he’s ok,” Slater posted on Instagram, highlighting the protective role surfboards play.
Surf Life Saving New South Wales reported a similar shark incident at the same location just under two months prior.
“Shortly after 8 AM today, the Surf Life Saving NSW state operations center was notified about the incident at the unpatrolled Cabarita beach,” a spokesperson said.
“The Australian Lifeguard Service lifeguards quickly collaborated with the council to close the beach and posted warning signs advising the public to stay out of the water.”
Following the incident, drones were deployed to monitor the ocean area.
