The 12-year-old boy mauled by a suspected bull shark at a Sydney Harbour beach in the city’s eastern suburbs, the first in a series of terrifying shark attacks this week, has died in hospital.
Nico Antic was attacked after jumping into the water west of Shark Beach at Nielsen Park in Vaucluse on Sunday afternoon.
One of his friends leapt into the water to help before two others helped pull Nico onto a nearby rock platform.
Nearby Marine Area Command police boats sped towards his location. Police applied tourniquets to his injured legs and performed CPR on the bow of the boat as they raced Nico to Rose Bay ferry wharf, where paramedics took him to Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick.
Nico underwent surgery for his critical injuries and was placed in an induced coma.
In a statement on Saturday, Nico’s parents, Lorena and Juan, said they were “heartbroken” to share the news of their son’s death.
“Nico was a happy, friendly, and sporty young boy with the most kind and generous spirit. He was always full of life and that’s how we’ll remember him,” they said.
“We would like to sincerely thank the first responders and the teams at Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick for everything they did to care for Nico. We would also like to thank everyone in the community for their support and kind messages.
“We ask you, please respect our privacy during this exceptionally difficult time.”
NSW Police said a report will be prepared for the coroner.
The incident was the first in a series involving sharks in Sydney and around NSW this week after heavy rain brought bull sharks closer to shore.
Nico was a nipper with the North Bondi Surf Life Saving Club alongside his sister and father. In 2024, he received the club’s under-11 boys’ most improved award.
Children attended the popular Vaucluse jump rock on Wednesday to lay flowers in Nico’s memory, Nine News reported.
Sam, who knew Nico from playing rugby and soccer together, said, “he was such a bright kid”.
Another friend, Nicho, said: “He was like really happy, really overexcited on everything. Good laughs.”
Rose Bay Secondary College earlier advised parents and carers the school was offering support to Nico’s family and students in his year group, including counselling sessions and appointments with the school psychologist.
Additional assistance will be offered when school resumes in February.
“Further, the college acknowledges the bravery shown by a number of young people at the scene immediately after the attack in rescuing and tending to Nico,” the school said earlier this week.
“We have offered support to those young people who are students at the College, along with their families, and ask that we all respect their privacy.”
Victor Piñeiro, described as a “close friend” of the Antic family, launched an online fundraiser to help cover “upcoming expenses and related arrangements” earlier in the week. “Despite all efforts, this heartbreaking event has led to the worst possible outcome,” Piñeiro wrote.
More than 3700 donations have been made to the fundraiser as of Saturday, exceeding $239,000.
Donor Max Hirst was among those who shared words of support on the fundraiser.
“Till the very end you were a really happy and brave kid and you were a really great friend,” Hirst wrote.
The attack on Sunday was the first of four this week in Sydney and on the Mid North Coast.
Musician Andre de Ruyter, 27, was also hospitalised after he was attacked on Sydney’s northern beaches on Monday evening.
News
The Hawaii trial of anesthesiologist Gerhardt Konig has taken a darker turn: Prosecutors say the rock was only part of what he allegedly prepared that day… 👇👇
In a case that has already gripped public attention, proceedings involving Gerhardt Konig have taken a deeply unsettling turn. During a recent court session, previously unreleased footage was presented to the jury—capturing the critical moments after his wife sustained fatal injuries near a cliffside in Hawaii. What jurors saw, according to those present in the […]
New courtroom footage in the Gerhardt Konig trial has just been revealed: What investigators saw that night is raising even more disturbing questions…
In a case that has already gripped public attention, proceedings involving Gerhardt Konig have taken a deeply unsettling turn. During a recent court session, previously unreleased footage was presented to the jury—capturing the critical moments after his wife sustained fatal injuries near a cliffside in Hawaii. What jurors saw, according to those present in the […]
FOUR DOLLARS. THAT’S ALL SHE’S WORTH.” — the crowd agreed. Until one cowboy paid… and changed the rules.
People started shouting when a small boy yanked a biker’s helmet off in front of a crowded school gate—“Stop him!” someone yelled—but why did the biker suddenly freeze? It happened on a cold Tuesday morning in late October, just outside Jefferson Elementary School in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The kind of morning where parents rushed. Coffee in […]
A biker suddenly ripped a bag of food from a homeless man and hurled it onto the pavement—“Are you out of your mind?!” someone shouted—but why did he look more focused than angry?
People started shouting when a biker suddenly ripped a bag of food from a homeless man and threw it onto the pavement—“What the hell is wrong with you?!”—but what had he seen that no one else did? It happened just outside a small convenience store on Colfax Avenue in Denver. Late afternoon. The kind of […]
CCTV Reveals the Final Minutes of Eric Fernando Gutierrez Molina — But One Detail About the Man Beside Him Stands Out…👇👇
Gutiérrez Molina, 32, an American Airlines flight attendant from Texas, disappeared while he was out with his colleagues in Medellín, Colombia, during a layover last week. Mayra Gutiérrez, Gutiérrez Molina’s sister, said Monday that Colombian authorities had confirmed to the family that her brother’s body was found Friday in the northeast region of the South […]
Police believe Eric Fernando Gutierrez Molina’s disappearance was no coincidence — the pattern fits a known criminal modus operandi…
Gutiérrez Molina, 32, an American Airlines flight attendant from Texas, disappeared while he was out with his colleagues in Medellín, Colombia, during a layover last week. Mayra Gutiérrez, Gutiérrez Molina’s sister, said Monday that Colombian authorities had confirmed to the family that her brother’s body was found Friday in the northeast region of the South […]
End of content
No more pages to load
