A woman was killed and a man seriously injured in a shark attack on Thursday at Crowdy Bay on Australia's east coast, police said.

New South Wales police said emergency services were called to the remote beach, about 280 kilometers (174 miles) north of Sydney, early in the morning after reports that a shark had attacked two swimmers.

"They were known to each other, and they were going for a swim and the shark attacked," New South Wales Police inspector Timothy Bayly told reporters.

Bystanders help save victim

Witnesses helped both victims, believed to be in their 20s, before paramedics arrived, managing to save the man's life.

"The courage from some bystanders is amazing in this situation — to put yourself out there is very heroic," state ambulance inspector Joshua Smyth told AFP news agency.

The man was airlifted to a hospital in critical condition.

The woman, however, died at the scene.

The beach and surrounding areas were closed after the attack.

Shark attacks in Australia

Authorities work with experts believe the shark species involved in Thursday's attack was a bull shark.

One of the deadliest species of deep-sea predatory fish, bull sharks can move between fresh and salt water, grow up to 2.3 meters (7.5 feet).

These among the shark species most commonly linked to attacks in Australia, along with great whites and tiger sharks, according to a national database.

Scientists say bull sharks are lingering off Sydney’s beaches for longer each year as waters warm due to climate change, and may eventually remain there year-round.

Australia recorded three fatal shark attacks in the first half of 2025, according to the national Shark-Incident Database.

Since 1791, there have been more than 1,280 shark incidents around Australia causing over 250 deaths.

In September, a surfer was fatally injured off the coast of Sydney.

Edited by Karl Sexton