Surfer fatally bit by shark off Australia coast

SYDNEY — A surfer was fatally bitten by a shark Sunday off the Australian coast, amid crowds gathered at a popular beach to celebrate Father’s Day.

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The surfer, who has not been identified but is believed to be in his 20s, suffered a critical arm injury around 11 a.m. off Emerald Beach in Coffs Harbour, New South Wales Ambulance said.

“It was devastating for everybody on the beach this morning,” Chris Wilson, with NSW Ambulance, told ABC. “A number of local surfers and bystanders came to the aid of this man. Despite the best efforts of bystanders, paramedics and other emergency services, the patient couldn’t be revived.”

New South Wales authorities also said numerous beaches were closed for the next 48 hours because of the incident, CNN reported.

It’s the first shark attack in the area, locals said.

“Yeah, it will change the fabric a little bit for a little while in EB, that’s for sure,” witness Aaron Armstrong, who has lived 20 years at Emerald Beach, told the Australian Broadcasting Corp.

While the U.S. leads the world in unprovoked shark attacks at 33, only three were fatal, according to the University of Florida’s International Shark Attack File. The 18 unprovoked attacks in Australia include six fatal incidents.

The last shark attack in Australia was in May off the coast of Forster.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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