12-year-old dies after shark attack

A 12-year-old boy has died after being bitten by a shark in Sydney Harbour, Australia, his family confirmed on Saturday.

Nico Antic was attacked last week while jumping into the water with friends from a six-metre (20-foot) rock in the eastern Sydney suburb of Vaucluse.

In a statement, his parents, Lorena and Juan Antic, said: “We are heartbroken to share that our son, Nico, has passed away. Nico was a happy, friendly, and sporty young boy with the most kind and generous spirit. He was always full of life and that’s how we’ll remember him.”

Police said recent heavy rains had turned the harbour waters murky, contributing to the tragedy. Antic was pulled into a police boat with heavy bleeding and taken to hospital in critical condition before succumbing to his injuries.

The incident comes amid a spate of shark attacks in Sydney, with four recorded over two days, prompting authorities to close dozens of city beaches. This marks Sydney’s third recent shark-related death — following the September death of surfer Mercury Psillakis and a bull shark attack that killed a woman two months later.

Experts say crowded waters and rising ocean temperatures may be altering shark migratory patterns, increasing the risk of attacks.