SYDNEY: A surfer was killed by a shark on Tuesday off the Australian east coast, police said.

The man, aged in his 50s, had been surfing off Forster, 220 kilometres (137 miles) north of Sydney, when he was attacked late in the morning, a police statement said.

Onlookers pulled the man from the water suffering critical injuries to his upper right thigh, police said.

The Ambulance Service said in a statement the man could not be resuscitated despite the best efforts of paramedics and bystanders at the scene. The mans name has not been released.

Forster beaches had been closed.

Police said they were working with government authorities to identify the species of shark.

It was the first fatal shark attack in Australia since November when a 55-year-old surfer was mauled near the northwest town of Broome.

Published in Dawn, May 19th, 2021