Australian boy injured by shark dies
· DWA 12-year-old boy has died of his injuries after being mauled by a shark in Sydney Harbour, his family says. The attack came amid a spate of attacks in Australia's east.
An 12-year-old Australian boy, Nico Antic, has died in hospital after receiving severe injuries to both legs in a shark attack in Sydney almost a week ago, his family said on Saturday.
The attack occurred as the boy and his friends were jumping from rocks into the waters at a beach in Vaucluse, an eastern suburb of the city.
Recent series of shark attacks
"We are heartbroken to share that our son, Nico, has passed away," the family said in a statement.
"Nico was a happy, friendly, and sporty young boy with the most kind and generous spirit. He was always full of life and that's how we'll remember him," the statement said.
Dozens of beaches along the coast of New South Wales (NSW), the eastern state of which Sydney is the capital, were closed this week amid increased shark activity near to shore, with four attacks reported in two days.
Murky waters caused by recent storms attracted sharks and made it harder for authorities to spot the animals and issue warnings to bathers.
The marine area police commander said on Monday that police believe a bull shark, one of the three types of shark most frequently involved in attacks in NSW, was behind the attack on the boy.
On average, there are 20 shark attacks a year in Australia, with fewer than three of them fatal, conservation groups say.
That number is far exceeded by that of drownings at the country's beaches.
Edited by: Wesley Dockery