Woman critically injured in shark attack at Sydney beach

A woman is in critical condition following a shark attack at Sydney's Coogee Beach on Saturday morning. The incident occurred around 11 a.m. local time, with bystanders pulling the victim from the water and administering first aid until emergency services arrived.

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She has large flesh wounds to the leg and the arms that ‌are going to require a lot of surgery.

Paramedics reported that the woman suffered "large flesh wounds to the leg and the arms" that will necessitate extensive surgery. Following the attack, Coogee Beach and several adjacent beaches were closed. A shark-spotting helicopter and jet skis were deployed to patrol the waters as authorities searched for the predator.

This attack is the latest in an unusually high number of shark encounters in Australia this year, with four fatalities reported. Scientists suggest that rising ocean temperatures may be altering sharks' migratory patterns, potentially leading to more frequent interactions with swimmers and surfers in increasingly crowded waters.

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We'll be working ‌closely with the New South Wales government, awaiting instruction as to when it is safe to reopen.

Witnesses described a chaotic scene, with one reporting a "massive pool of blood" in the water. The attack follows a fatal incident on Queensland's Great Barrier Reef the previous week and another death off the coast of Western Australia last month. Records indicate nearly 1,300 shark incidents in Australia since 1791, resulting in over 260 deaths.

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We saw a massive pool of blood in the water. Then we spotted the woman kind of motioning to swim, and there was lots of splashing.