Rare deadly shark attack sparks ocean hunt in Sydney, Australia Laura Sharman, CNNSeptember 6, 2025 at 11:56 PM 0 Police at the scene of the shark attack in Sydney on September 6, 2025 Nine News A shark hunt is underway off Australia's east coast after a father was killed in a "freak" attack at a Sy...
- - Rare deadly shark attack sparks ocean hunt in Sydney, Australia
Laura Sharman, CNNSeptember 6, 2025 at 11:56 PM
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Police at the scene of the shark attack in Sydney on September 6, 2025 - Nine News
A shark hunt is underway off Australia's east coast after a father was killed in a "freak" attack at a Sydney beach.
Mercury Psillakis was mauled by what police said was a large shark at Long Reef Beach on Saturday.
The 57-year-old was attacked while surfing about 100 meters offshore, in the city's second fatal shark incident since 1963.
Now, drone operators are scanning the water for any sign of further shark activity at the beach, which remains closed, according to CNN affiliate 9News.
Emergency services rushed to the beach shortly after 10 a.m., following reports of a man suffering critical injuries.
He was brought to shore and pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said.
Witnesses described a chaotic scene as the shark's fin surfaced.
"There was a guy screaming 'I don't want to get bitten, I don't want to get bitten, don't bite me,' and I saw the dorsal fin of the shark come up and it was huge," Mark Morgenthal told CNN affiliate Sky News Australia.
"Then I saw the tail fin come up and start kicking, and the distance between the dorsal fin and the tail fin looked to be about four meters, so it actually looked like a six-meter shark."
Psillakis disappeared under the water with his surfboard and lost several limbs in the attack, New South Wales (NSW) Police Inspector Stuart Thomson told reporters at a press conference on Saturday.
The scene of the shark attack in Sydney on September 6, 2025 - Nine News
"His (friends) managed to make it back to the beach safely and a short time later his body was found floating in the surf and a couple of other people went out and recovered it," Thomson said. "Attempts to save his life were unsuccessful."
Psillakis, an experienced surfer who leaves behind a wife and young daughter, was well known in the Northern Beaches community for selling rare exotic plants, frequently showcasing his finds on local Facebook groups.
Police and shark biologists are analyzing Psillakis's body and fragments of his surfboard, as well as speaking with witnesses, to determine the shark species, 9News added.
Drone operators are scanning the water for potential shark activity.
Locals are urged to avoid beaches in the area as lifeguards keep people from entering the water.
Northern Beaches Police Area Commander John Duncan told local media the attack was a "freak incident that happens very, very rarely."
Sydney shark attacks
Shark attacks in Sydney are exceptionally rare, with only one other fatality in the past 60 years.
Diving instructor Simon Nellist was killed by a great white while swimming off Little Bay Beach in 2022.
Before that, the last deadly incident was in 1963, when actress Marcia Hathaway was fatally mauled by a bull shark in Middle Harbour's shallow waters.
The scene of the shark attack in Sydney on September 6, 2025 - Seven Network via Reuters
Shark nets were installed across 51 beaches in NSW, for the season starting September 1, across 51 beaches stretching around 140 miles from Newcastle to Wollongong, 9News reports.
This routine measure is implemented each year, throughout the state's spring and summer period, with sharks being more common in warmer months.
According to the Department of Primary Industries, sharks are present year-round but may be more common depending on weather, ocean conditions, and food sources.
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