Niko Antić (12) is in the hospital and is fighting for his life after he was attacked by a shark in the sea near Sydney.
The incident occurred on Sunday around 4:20 PM, when Niko jumped into the water from a six-meter-high rock in Nielsen Park, in Sydney’s eastern suburbs. It is suspected that he was attacked by a bull shark.
The boy’s legs were both injured in the attack, and Niko survived only because one of his five friends jumped in and dragged him onto a stone platform while the predator swam nearby.
Friends confirmed that Niko’s injuries are catastrophic.
Family friend Victor Pineiro launched a GoFundMe campaign on Tuesday to help the Antić family with hospital costs.
“Niko was attacked by a shark in Sydney Harbour on Sunday and sustained life-threatening injuries,” he wrote, describing it as “the worst possible outcome.”
New South Wales police confirmed to the Daily Mail on Tuesday afternoon that Niko is alive and in the hospital.
Another family friend, Trish, shared the link to the fundraiser on Facebook with the message: “My heart aches.”
A third family friend called on people to donate money.
“This is a family I know, and they are going through an unimaginably difficult period,” he said.
As a reminder, Niko is the first victim of four shark attacks on the shores of New South Wales in the last three days.
On Monday, an 11-year-old boy had an encounter with another shark, which bit off a large part of his surfboard in Dee Why, near Manly, in Sydney’s northern suburbs.
The same evening, Andrea de Ruyter (27) was attacked by a bull shark while surfing in Manly. He was taken to the hospital with a severe leg injury.
On Tuesday, a 39-year-old was attacked at Point Plomer on the mid-north coast of New South Wales. The shark bit through the man’s wetsuit and tore off a piece of his board. Reportedly, he drove himself to the Kempsey District Hospital.
Police have urged people not to swim in murky water with low visibility after heavy rain hit Sydney and its surroundings over the weekend.
Also, beaches across Sydney have been closed for swimming following the series of shark attacks.
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Source: Telegraf; Photo: GoFundMe