A 12-year-old boy who was bitten by a shark in Sydney Harbour last week has died in hospital, his family said.
Nico Antic was injured on January 18 while jumping into the water with friends from a rock ledge in the eastern Sydney suburb of Vaucluse. Authorities believe he was bitten by a bull shark.
His parents, Lorena and Juan Antic, confirmed his death in a statement. “We are heartbroken to share that our son, Nico, has passed away,” they said.
At the time of the incident, the children were leaping from a six-metre rock into the harbour. Police said recent heavy rain had washed into the area, leaving the water murky.
Nico was suffering severe bleeding when he was pulled from the water by police and taken to hospital in critical condition.
“Nico was a happy, friendly and sporty young boy with the most kind and generous spirit. He was always full of life and that is how we will remember him,” his parents said.
The incident was one of four shark attacks reported along the New South Wales coast over a two-day period. The attacks led authorities to close dozens of Sydney beaches.
It was the city’s third shark-related death in recent months. In September, a surfer was killed by a great white shark at a northern Sydney beach. Two months later, a woman died after a bull shark attack at a remote beach north of the city.
Australian scientists say rising ocean temperatures and increasingly crowded coastal waters are affecting shark movement, which may be linked to the recent increase in attacks.
