Teenage Boy Critically Injured in Attack by ‘Large Shark’

A teenage boy is fighting for his life after being attacked by a shark in Sydney Harbour.

At around 4:20 p.m. local time on Sunday, Jan. 18, emergency services responded to reports of a boy “bitten by a shark” along Hermitage Foreshore Walk near Shark Beach in the Sydney suburb of Vaucluse, the New South Wales (NSW) Police said in a news release.

“The boy, believed to be aged about 13, was rescued from the water off Shark Beach by officers from Marine Area Command and Eastern Suburbs Police within minutes of the call being made to 000 [Australia’s national emergency number],” said the NSW Police.

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The boy suffered “serious leg injuries” in the attack. He was given first aid by Water Police officers before being transported to Rose Bay wharf, where NSW Ambulance paramedics continued first aid on the victim, the NSW Police said.

The teen was brought to the Children’s Hospital at Randwick, where he remains in critical condition. He has not been publicly identified at this time.

The boy suffered injuries “consistent with what is believed to have been a large shark,” said the NSW Police. According to News.com.au, the teenager was reportedly attacked by a shark while jumping off rocks at the end of the beach.

Photos from the incident show ambulances and rescue boats positioned in the area.

The NSW Department of Primary Industries is helping to identify the species of shark involved in the attack, per the ABC.

The NSW Police have advised swimmers to avoid entering the waters near where the attack took place.

The shark attack comes after a woman in her 20s was killed and a man seriously injured in a shark attack in New South Wales, Australia, in November 2025.

The couple from Switzerland was taking a morning swim at Kylies Beach campground, after traveling to the location the night before, when the incident took place, The Sydney Morning Herald and The Australian reported.

The Department of Primary Industries told The Sydney Morning Herald and the BBC that the shark was likely to be a bull shark measuring 10 feet long.

PEOPLE has contacted the NSW Police and NSW Ambulance for further comment.