New | Sharks attack teenager, kill dophins as Australia fences off coasts

A teenage boy was bitten by a 1.5-metre-long shark off Australia’s east coast today as repeated sightings of the predators – including a large great white – forced the shutdowns of beaches.

The 17-year-old, named in local media as Sam Smith, was spear-fishing off Mollymook, 230 kilometres south of Sydney, when he was bitten on the hand after attempting to stab the shark to “scare it off”, his friend said.

The teens were shooting video clips while fishing when they spotted the shark. Smith swam towards the shark to film it, said friend and eyewitness Luke Sisinni.

“He said it spun around and started coming for him, so he stabbed it with his spear to try and scare it off, but it just went ballistic and bit him,” Sisinni told the Ulladulla Times, adding that the shark was about 1.5 metres long.

The animal was suspected to be a bronze whaler shark, which are known to attack humans.

A New South Wales Ambulance spokeswoman said the teenager was taken to hospital in a stable condition.