Sydney’s beaches shut after first fatal shark attack in 60 years

Sydney beaches, including the iconic Bondi Beach, were shut Thursday after the city’s first fatal shark attack in almost 60 years — just days before Australia reopens its borders to international tourists.

Emergency services were called to Little Bay beach late Wednesday afternoon after reports a swimmer had been attacked by a shark. Police later said human remains were found in the water.

A fisherman who witnessed the attack said the swimmer was taken by a great white shark about 4.5 meters (15 feet) long, the Sydney Morning Herald reported. It is the first deadly shark attack in Sydney since 1963, when actress Marcia Hathaway was killed by a bronze whaler shark in Middle Harbour, the Herald said.

The fatal attack comes just days before Australia reopens to international tourists on February 21, after almost two years of pandemic restrictions that saw the country largely cut off from the rest of the world. The nation’s sandy beaches, including Bondi, are often featured in advertising campaigns to lure tourists from the other side of the world.