SYDNEY — A 12-year-old boy who was bitten by a shark in Sydney Harbour last week has died in hospital, authorities said. Nico Antic was injured on Jan. 18 while jumping off a rock ledge with friends when he was attacked by what officials believe was a bull shark. He suffered severe leg injuries and was taken to Sydney Children’s Hospital in critical condition, where he was placed in an induced coma following surgery. “We are heartbroken to share that our son, Nico, has passed away,” his parents, Lorena and Juan Antic, 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.” Friends who were with Nico at the time were praised for their bravery after jumping into the water to help him following the attack. The incident was one of four reported shark attacks along the New South Wales coast over a two-day period. An online fundraiser established to support the family has raised about A$240,000. Authorities said there has been a recent spike in shark encounters along Australia’s east coast, including three incidents in Sydney in the past week. On Monday, a surfer escaped a shark without injury at Sydney’s northern beaches, while a 27-year-old man later suffered life-changing injuries in a separate attack nearby. A day later, a 39-year-old man was hospitalized with a chest wound after surviving a shark bite on the Mid North Coast. Experts said days of heavy rain created murky water conditions favored by bull sharks and flushed nutrients closer to shore, increasing the risk of encounters. Several Sydney beaches were closed as a precaution but have since reopened as weather conditions improved ahead of the Australia Day long weekend.SYDNEY — A 12-year-old boy who was bitten by a shark in Sydney Harbour last week has died in hospital, authorities said. Nico Antic was injured on Jan. 18 while jumping off a rock ledge with friends when he was attacked by what officials believe was a bull shark. He suffered severe leg injuries and was taken to Sydney Children’s Hospital in critical condition, where he was placed in an induced coma following surgery. “We are heartbroken to share that our son, Nico, has passed away,” his parents, Lorena and Juan Antic, 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.” Friends who were with Nico at the time were praised for their bravery after jumping into the water to help him following the attack. The incident was one of four reported shark attacks along the New South Wales coast over a two-day period. An online fundraiser established to support the family has raised about A$240,000. Authorities said there has been a recent spike in shark encounters along Australia’s east coast, including three incidents in Sydney in the past week. On Monday, a surfer escaped a shark without injury at Sydney’s northern beaches, while a 27-year-old man later suffered life-changing injuries in a separate attack nearby. A day later, a 39-year-old man was hospitalized with a chest wound after surviving a shark bite on the Mid North Coast. Experts said days of heavy rain created murky water conditions favored by bull sharks and flushed nutrients closer to shore, increasing the risk of encounters. Several Sydney beaches were closed as a precaution but have since reopened as weather conditions improved ahead of the Australia Day long weekend.
Boy dies after shark attack in Sydney Harbour
