Partner survives seriously injured Swiss woman dies in shark attack in Australia
A young Swiss woman was fatally injured by a shark on a remote beach in Australia's Crowdy Bay National Park. Her partner survived seriously injured - only thanks to courageous first responders who intervened immediately.
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- A young Swiss tourist died in a shark attack in the state of New South Wales on Thursday morning.
- Her partner, also from Switzerland and believed to be in his 20s, was seriously injured and flown to hospital by helicopter.
- Emergency services and authorities have paid tribute to the courageous efforts of witnesses who were able to save the man with an improvised blood flow tourniquet.
A Swiss tourist was killed by a shark in Australia early on Thursday morning. The woman and her partner were in Crowdy Bay National Park on the Mid-North Coast of New South Wales when the attack happened at around 6.30 a.m. on an unguarded beach. This was reported by local media.
According to initial findings, the two had only arrived at a nearby campsite the day before. The woman, who according to the authorities was probably in her 20s, died on the beach. Her partner suffered serious injuries to his leg.
Witnesses reacted immediately: a bather used swimming gear to apply a makeshift tourniquet to stop the bleeding - an intervention that emergency services say was crucial in saving the man's life. "The bravery of some of those present was incredible," NSW Ambulance Superintendent Josh Smyth said. "The improvised system probably saved his life."
Shark species still unclear - beaches closed
The man was flown by rescue helicopter to John Hunter Hospital and is in a critical condition, according to authorities.
Police closed the stretch of beach and are working with experts from the Fisheries Department to determine the species of shark and set up drone surveillance. According to a senior official, beaches in the area and further north would be temporarily closed.
Surfers and locals have also told local media that there are currently more sightings of large sharks along the coast - partly due to migrating whales and partly due to so-called baitballs made from small fish.
Local MP Alison Penfold spoke of a "devastating loss" and expressed her condolences to the young woman's family. MP Robert Dwyer also said: "No human being should have to go through something like this. Our thoughts are with both families."
Steven Pearce, head of Surf Life Saving NSW, emphasized the special location of the accident site: "It's an extremely remote section without any rescue services," he said on radio station 2GB. "That makes events like this all the more tragic."
