Paddleboarder rescues woman after 'shocking' shark attack at Sydney's Coogee Beach
Elite paddleboarder Charlie Verco rescued a woman after a shark attack at Sydney's Coogee Beach. The woman sustained severe arm and leg injuries and remains in critical condition.
A terrifying shark attack occurred at Sydney's Coogee Beach on Saturday morning, with elite paddleboarder Charlie Verco heroically rescuing the victim. Verco, who was training for the world championships in Hawaii, heard a swimmer shouting "shark" and saw a large grey shadow in the water. Several swimmers tried to climb onto his 5.5-metre paddleboard.
Verco, a trained surf lifesaver, attempted to signal lifeguards to sound the shark alarm. Suddenly, a woman started screaming and was dragged underwater. "There was a lot of blood in the water, it was quite shocking," Verco told Guardian Australia. The shark surfaced, revealing a dorsal fin. Verco estimated the shark to be about 3.5 metres long — the largest he had seen except for a tiger shark in Hawaii.
The woman disappeared and then reappeared as the shark released its grip. Verco helped her onto his board, but she lost consciousness. He held her with one hand and paddled with the other. It felt like forever, but in reality, it took three to five minutes to reach the shallows. Bystanders helped bring her ashore.
New South Wales Ambulance reported that the woman, in her 30s, suffered arm and leg injuries and was taken to St Vincent's Hospital in critical condition. Beaches from Bondi to Maroubra were closed for at least 24 hours. This is the fourth serious shark incident in Sydney since September 2025.
