According to Australian officials, a surfer died after being attacked by a shark on a beach north of Sydney.

Following news of the attack on Tuesday morning, paramedics were dispatched to Tuncurry Beach, around a three-hour drive from Australia's most populated city.

According to New South Wales Ambulance, the man could not be resuscitated despite the best efforts of paramedics and bystanders at the scene.

According to an AFP spokesman, the man, who is believed to be in his 50s, went into cardiac arrest after being bitten on the thigh. According to police, he was surfing at the time of the attack.

Following the incident, the state government of New South Wales' SharkSmart organization announced that beaches in the area had been closed until further notice.

According to the Taronga Conservation Society Australia, it was the first fatal shark attack in Australian waters this year.

According to government records, there were 26 maulings in 2020, eight of which were fatal.