A sunny afternoon at Nielsen Park in Sydney’s eastern suburbs turned into a nightmare for a group of friends when 12-year-old Nico Antic was mauled by a shark while rock jumping.
Loved ones have revealed that the young soccer player suffered catastrophic injuries, leaving the local community in shock.
The Attack and Heroic Rescue
The terrifying incident happened around 4:20 pm on Sunday when Nico jumped into the water from a six-metre rock ledge.
A suspected bull shark attacked, severely injuring both of his legs.
Nico’s survival was only possible thanks to the bravery of one of his five friends, who jumped into the water and pulled him onto a rock platform while the predator circled nearby.
Family and friends described Nico’s condition as catastrophic.
A family friend, Victor Pineiro, set up a fundraiser to help cover medical and other expenses.
“Nico was attacked by a shark on Sunday in Sydney Harbour and sustained life-threatening injuries,” Pineiro said, calling the situation the “worst possible outcome.”
Community Support and Soccer Achievements
NSW Police confirmed that Nico was alive and receiving treatment in hospital as of Tuesday afternoon.
His soccer club, Goal Soccer Academy in Rose Bay, shared heartfelt words about his talent and dedication.
“Nico has been part of the Goal family for seven years, a talented and dedicated sportsman,” the academy said, noting that he had represented the club in tournaments including the Sydney International Cup.
Friends and the community quickly rallied around the family.
One friend, Trish, shared the fundraiser link on Facebook with the simple message: “My heart hurts.”
Another friend encouraged donations, emphasizing that the family is going through an unimaginably difficult time.
Shark Activity on the NSW Coastline
Nico’s attack was the first of four shark-related incidents along the NSW coast over three days.
On Monday, an 11-year-old boy had a close encounter when a shark took a large bite out of his surfboard in Dee Why, near Manly.
Later that same evening, 27-year-old Andre de Ruyter was attacked by a bull shark while surfing in Manly, sustaining critical leg injuries.
On Tuesday, a 39-year-old man was bitten at Point Plomer on the NSW Mid North Coast.
The shark tore through his wetsuit and damaged his board, but the man managed to drive himself to Kempsey District Hospital.
Police Warnings and Conditions
Authorities have urged the public to avoid swimming in murky, low-visibility water following heavy rainfall over the weekend, which caused increased freshwater levels in the harbour.
NSW Police Superintendent Joseph McNulty explained that the combination of heavy rain and the splashing from people jumping off rocks created the “perfect storm” for the attack.
“I would recommend not swimming in the harbour or our other river systems across NSW at this time,” McNulty told reporters.
Heavy swells have also prevented smart drumline operations, which are used to track shark activity along most of the NSW coast.
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