A surfer died Sunday off Australia’s east coast after being bitten by a shark as many people flocked to the beaches to celebrate Father’s Day.
Other surfers, walkers and paramedics tried CPR on the man, but he had a critical arm injury and could not be resuscitated, said Chris Wilson of the New South Wales Ambulance Service.
The attack occurred near Shelly and Emerald Beaches in Coffs Harbor, about 530 kilometers (330 miles) north of Sydney.
Emerald Beach was crowded, and there were many locals in the water to celebrate Father’s Day, according to witness Aaron Armstrong. “Yeah, it’ll change the mood a bit for a while on (the beach), that’s for sure,” Armstrong told the Australian Broadcasting Corp.
It is the first shark attack in the town that he and other neighbors remember, he said.
New South Wales is under a coronavirus quarantine, although people can leave home to exercise, including swimming. Members of the same family can go to the beach for Father’s Day.
As of Sunday, the most recent deadly shark attack in Australia was in May, off the coast of Forster, 220 kilometers (137 miles) north of Sydney.