Great white shark attack near Sydney beach, woman seriously injured

A 3,5-meter great white shark attacked a 35-year-old woman near a popular beach in Sydney today, and a lifeguard pulled her to shore.

Her condition is critical as she has serious injuries to her leg and arm, police said.

A woman who was swimming with two friends was attacked by a shark 30 meters off the coast of Kudži Beach.

The lifeguard said he was surprised by the size of the shark, that he managed to swim to the woman who was too weak to climb onto the lifeboat, and dragged her through the water to shore.

Passersby pulled her out of the water and began providing first aid on the beach before paramedics arrived. The woman was taken to a rugby field near the beach, from where she was airlifted to hospital.

Shark attacks have become more common in Australia over the decades as the population has increased and activities like surfing and diving have gained popularity.

Since May 16, sharks have killed three spearfishermen off the coast of Australia, bringing the total number of such deaths in that country this year to four.

Australia has had an average of between two and three fatal shark attacks a year since 2000, according to the Australian Shark Incident Database, a partnership between the Taronga Conservation Society of Australia, Flinders University and the New South Wales state government.

Last Saturday, a 4,5-meter-long great white shark killed a 35-year-old man while he and his family were fishing off Michaelmas Island near the port city of Albany in the state of Western Australia.

A 39-year-old spearfisherman suffered fatal head injuries in an attack on the Great Barrier Reef off the northeast coast of Australia on May 24th, where "bull sharks" were sighted.

A week earlier, on May 16, a four-meter-long great white shark fatally attacked a 38-year-old spearfisherman off the coast of Perth, Western Australia.

The second fatal shark attack in Australia this year occurred in January - a 12-year-old boy died in hospital a few days after being attacked by a "bull shark" in Sydney Harbour.

Last year, Australia recorded five fatal shark attacks.