A 12-year-old boy who was savaged by a suspected bull shark in Sydney Harbour on Sunday afternoon remains alive in hospital but has been declared brain dead by his family.
Nico Antic will never regain consciousness following the horrific attack at Nielsen Park in the city’s eastern suburbs, his relatives have confirmed.
The youngster was leaping into the water from a six-metre rock ledge with five companions at approximately 4.20pm local time when the predator struck.
His older sister Sophie told the Daily Mail that her brother “is still asleep, but will not be able to make it because his brain is completely unresponsive”.
Police have confirmed that Nico’s condition at Sydney Children’s Hospital has not changed.
Both of Nico’s legs sustained severe injuries during the mauling and he only survived because one of his friends displayed remarkable courage by diving back into the water to pull him onto the rocks while the shark remained nearby.
Emergency responders arrived within minutes and applied tourniquets before performing CPR on the critically injured boy.
Paramedics then rushed him to Sydney Children’s Hospital, where he underwent emergency surgery on Sunday evening.
Nico Antic is not expected to wake up following the attack
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GOFUNDME
First responders have since praised the bravery of Nico’s young companions, who entered the dangerous waters to rescue their friend despite the shark’s presence.
The attack occurred at a location known locally as Shark Beach, situated at the end of Nielsen Park in Sydney’s prestigious Vaucluse area.
Sophie described her brother as a talented sportsman who brought joy to everyone around him.
“He is a sporty kid and never fails to put a smile on people’s faces,” she said. “He is loved by many friends and family.”
A bull shark is suspected to have attacked the boy
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Goal Soccer Academy in Rose Bay, where Nico had trained for seven years, paid tribute to the youngster as “a talented and dedicated sportsman” who had represented the club at tournaments including the Sydney International Cup.
Family friend Victor Pineiro established a GoFundMe campaign on Tuesday to assist the Antic family with expenses, describing the situation as “the worst possible outcome”.
By Wednesday afternoon local time, approximately 2,400 donors had contributed more than $160,000 to support the family.
Friends noted that Nico’s extended relatives live overseas and must travel to Australia to say their farewells.
Nico’s attack marked the beginning of a terrifying 48-hour period that saw four shark incidents along the New South Wales coastline.
On Monday morning, an 11-year-old surfer at Dee Why Beach escaped unharmed after a shark tore a large chunk from his board, knocking him into the water.
That same evening, 27-year-old musician Andre de Ruyter suffered life-changing leg injuries when a bull shark attacked him at North Steyne Beach in Manly.
He remains in critical condition following surgery.
A fourth incident occurred on Tuesday when a 39-year-old man was bitten at Point Plomer on the Mid North Coast, though he sustained only minor injuries.
Surf Life Saving NSW chief executive Steve Pearce urged people to avoid the ocean entirely, warning: “We have such poor water quality that’s conducive to bull shark activity… just go to a local pool, because at this stage, we’re advising that the beaches are unsafe.”
