An experienced surfer was killed after he was bitten by a suspected “large shark” on a Sydney beach, Australia's New South Wales police said. Speaking about the incident which occurred on Saturday (September 6, 2025) , the police, in a statement, said that the man had been pulled out of the morning surf
onto the shore at Long Reef Beach - but he "died at the scene".
"Two sections of a surfboard have been recovered and taken for expert examination," the statement read, as quoted by the BBC. The incident led to a series of closures in the popular area known as the Northern Beaches. The deceased man was identified as Mercury Psillakis, 57. He was pulled under by a shark when he was out surfing at around 10am on Saturday, 7 News reported. Psillakis, who was a father of one, suffered severe injuries shortly after 10am on Saturday, according to news.com.au.
Four or five surfers pulled the deceased man from the surf zone and brought to the shore. Despite the efforts, they could not save him and he succumbed to his injuries at the scene. Psillakis was a well-known Dee Why local and avid surfer, with his brother Mike operating the custom surfboard shop Psillakis Surfboards, according to news.com.au.
The state police stated that the emergency services received reports shortly after 10:00am local time on Saturday (00:00 GMT) that "a man had suffered critical injuries," BBC reported.
While addressing reporters at a news briefing on Saturday, the police claimed that the victim was an "experienced surfer" who had been in the water with his friends. Further elaborating on the matter, they stated that he had been surfing for only about half an hour (30 minutes) when he was attacked some 100m (328ft) off the shore, after which he lost "a number of limbs".
According to Rod McGibbon, a duty officer from Surf Life Saving, the man was brought to the beach by other surfers, according to the BBC. He also stated that he expected the beaches to remain closed for between 24 and 72 hours. The police further stated that local police officers and experts were now working together to "determine the species of shark involved", as reported by the BBC..
The latest incident of a deadly shark attack in Sydney occurred for the first time since 2022, when Simon Nellist - a British diving instructor - was mauled by a great white shark. Before that, there had not been a fatal attack since 1963.
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onto the shore at Long Reef Beach - but he "died at the scene".
"Two sections of a surfboard have been recovered and taken for expert examination," the statement read, as quoted by the BBC. The incident led to a series of closures in the popular area known as the Northern Beaches. The deceased man was identified as Mercury Psillakis, 57. He was pulled under by a shark when he was out surfing at around 10am on Saturday, 7 News reported. Psillakis, who was a father of one, suffered severe injuries shortly after 10am on Saturday, according to news.com.au.
Four or five surfers pulled the deceased man from the surf zone and brought to the shore. Despite the efforts, they could not save him and he succumbed to his injuries at the scene. Psillakis was a well-known Dee Why local and avid surfer, with his brother Mike operating the custom surfboard shop Psillakis Surfboards, according to news.com.au.
The state police stated that the emergency services received reports shortly after 10:00am local time on Saturday (00:00 GMT) that "a man had suffered critical injuries," BBC reported.
While addressing reporters at a news briefing on Saturday, the police claimed that the victim was an "experienced surfer" who had been in the water with his friends. Further elaborating on the matter, they stated that he had been surfing for only about half an hour (30 minutes) when he was attacked some 100m (328ft) off the shore, after which he lost "a number of limbs".
According to Rod McGibbon, a duty officer from Surf Life Saving, the man was brought to the beach by other surfers, according to the BBC. He also stated that he expected the beaches to remain closed for between 24 and 72 hours. The police further stated that local police officers and experts were now working together to "determine the species of shark involved", as reported by the BBC..
The latest incident of a deadly shark attack in Sydney occurred for the first time since 2022, when Simon Nellist - a British diving instructor - was mauled by a great white shark. Before that, there had not been a fatal attack since 1963.
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