Family and friends of a 12-year-old boy mauled by a shark during an afternoon swim with friends on Sunday have given a grim update on his prognosis.
Nico Antic was jumping off rocks into the water near Shark Beach in Vaucluse, NSW, when the predator, believed to be a bull shark, attacked, leaving him with catastrophic injuries.
Both his legs were severely injured and he is in a critical condition in Sydney Children’s Hospital after undergoing emergency surgery on Sunday night.
His parents, originally from South America, are at his bedside. On Wednesday, an immediate family member reportedly told the Daily Mail that Nico is “still asleep, but will not be able to make it because his brain is completely unresponsive”.
“He is a sporty kid and never fails to put a smile on people’s faces. He is loved by many friends and family.”
On Tuesday, family friend Victor Piñeiro, who has set up a GoFundMe campaign to support the Antic family, gave a bleak update on the boy’s condition in a statement to support the fundraising efforts.
“Despite all efforts, this heartbreaking event has led to the worst possible outcome,” he wrote.
“We are raising funds to help the Antic family cover upcoming expenses and related arrangements during this incredibly difficult time.”
Nico’s plight has inspired around 1500 people to donate to the GoFundMe campaign. As of 12.30pm AEDT, it had raised $113,000.
Among those donating was Kate Barley, whose 15-year-old son Khai Cowley died in a shark attack in 2023.
“From one mum to another, my heart is holding you so tightly. I lost my beautiful boy Khai in a shark attack in SA — he was only 15 — and I know how unbearable this waiting and fear can be. Your precious boy is in our thoughts and prayers, and your family is being held with deep love and strength right now,” she wrote.
Speaking of the courageous efforts to save Nico, Superintendent Joseph McNulty earlier this week said one of his friends had bravely jumped into the water to help him in the moments after the attack before two others helped pull him onto a nearby rock.
The police boat arrived soon after with officer aboard applying tow tourniquets, one for each leg to stem the bleeding.
He was given a blood transfusion while in the ambulance on his way from the Rose Bay ferry wharf to the hospital in Randwick.
NSW Ambulance inspector Giles Buchanan said of the rescue effort that it was “touch and go” the whole way to the hospital.
Nico’s attack was the beginning of a spree of shark attacks in NSW over three days. Andre de Ruyter was left in critical condition after an attack at Manly’s North Steyne Beach on Monday night and an 11-year-old boy had a close call after his surfboard was bitten at Dee Why on Monday morning.
News
THE FORENSIC RESULTS CHANGE THE ENTIRE CASE: Medical teams say toxicology testing on Brandon Clarke revealed multiple substances in his system — but investigators believe there may be more to the story…
A disturbing online rumor claiming forensic investigators discovered “five different toxins” inside the body of Brandon Clarke has spread rapidly across social media, despite there being no real death investigation involving the NBA player. The fabricated posts imitate the style of high-profile forensic crime reporting, using phrases like: “the toxicology report everyone was waiting for,” […]
WHAT WAS WRITTEN BEFORE EVERYTHING WENT SILENT? Police investigating the San Fernando Valley house say one hastily written note inside the bathroom is haunting everyone involved… 👇👇
A disturbing online rumor claiming Brandon Clarke was found unconscious inside a San Fernando Valley home after investigators allegedly discovered a handwritten note has spread rapidly across social media — despite no evidence any such incident ever occurred. The fabricated story follows a now-common viral formula: a celebrity, a hidden location, a mysterious note, and […]
MY NANNY LOCKED MY TRIPLETS IN A ROOM… BUT THEY WEREN’T THE ONES SHE WAS TRYING TO HIDE
She called Carla again while racing down the expressway, but the call went straight to voicemail. Amelia Whitmore gripped the steering wheel so tightly her fingers began to ache. Her private jet was still waiting on the runway behind her, the contract meeting in Seattle already collapsing without her, but none of that mattered anymore. […]
HE ACCUSED THE WAITRESS OF STEALING THE RING… BUT THE DIAMOND WAS RECORDING HIS CONFESSION
The man collapsed at the waitress’s feet, his breath coming in ragged gasps as her whisper continued to echo in his ears like a summons from hell: “Do you remember that rainy night at the docks 10 years ago? My father trusted you, and you pushed him into the ocean just to steal this ring… […]
“WE HEARD EVERYTHING”: Witnesses inside the villa where Jake Hall spent his final hours are now revealing what allegedly unfolded before the tragedy… 👇👇
Witnesses at the Villa Describe Jake Hall’s Final Hours as Investigators Continue Reconstructing Timeline New witness accounts are shedding light on the final hours before Jake Hall’s death inside a rented villa, as investigators continue examining what may have triggered the rapid emotional and physical deterioration reportedly witnessed inside the property that morning. According to […]
Brandon Clarke was found inside a house in the San Fernando Valley — but what investigators found in the bedroom was the most shocking 👇👇
A dramatic online rumor claiming Brandon Clarke was “found inside a house in the San Fernando Valley” after a mysterious incident has spread rapidly across social media — despite there being no credible reports of any such event. The posts, written in the style of breaking true-crime journalism, suggest investigators uncovered disturbing evidence inside a […]
End of content
No more pages to load
