An Australian surfer died Saturday after being bitten by a “large shark” at Long Reef Beach in Sydney, police said. 

According to New South Wales Police Superintendent John Duncan, as reported by Sky News, the victim was a 57-year-old father and “seasoned surfer” who suffered the loss of multiple limbs. 

“There was a guy screaming, ‘I don’t want to get bitten, I don’t want to get bitten, don’t bite me,’ and I saw the dorsal fin of the shark come up, and it was huge,” a witness told Sky News Australia. 

Police said they were called to the beach around 10 a.m. Saturday to respond to reports of a man who “had suffered critical injuries.” 

People walk along the shoreline as northern Sydney beaches are closed after a shark attack at Long Reef Beach Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025. (Saeed Khan/AFP via Getty Images)

“The gentleman had gone out about 9:30 this morning with some of his friends, about five or six of his mates,” he was quoted by Sky News as saying. “He’s an experienced surfer that we understand.

“Unfortunately, it would appear that a large, what we believe to be a shark, has attacked him. And as a result of that, he lost a number of limbs,” Duncan reportedly added. “His colleagues managed to make it back to the beach safely, and a short time later, his body was found floating in the surf. And a couple of other people went out and recovered it.” 

Visitors avoid the water while surf rescue personnel on jet skis patrol the coastline in northern Sydney following a shark attack at Long Reef Beach. (Saeed Khan/AFP via Getty Images)

Duncan said the victim leaves behind a wife and young daughter, Sky News reported.