Fatal Incident
12-Year-Old Killed in Bull Shark Attack at Shark Beach, Nielsen Park, Sydney Harbour
A 12-year-old boy, Nico Antic, died after a bull shark attack at Shark Beach near Nielsen Park, Vaucluse, in Sydney Harbour on 18 January 2026.
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Incident Profile
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Individual
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Description
12-year-old Nico Antic, a North Bondi surf lifesaving nipper, died following a bull shark attack at Shark Beach near Nielsen Park, Vaucluse, Sydney Harbour, around 4:20pm on Sunday 18 January 2026. He was jumping off a rock ledge along the Hermitage Foreshore Walk and swimming outside the protected shark net area when he was attacked, suffering serious injuries to both legs. Friends bravely pulled him from the water and provided initial aid; emergency services applied a tourniquet and rushed him to Sydney Children's Hospital in critical condition, where he later died. Authorities believe a bull shark was responsible. The shark net at the beach had previously been damaged during heavy swells in April 2025 and repaired by early December 2025, raising questions about its role in the incident.
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