Sydney shark attack on 12-year-old boy dies of serious injuries

A young boy bitten by a shark in Sydney Harbor last week has died in hospital.

On January 18, 12-year-old Nico Antic was attacked by what authorities suspected was a bull shark while jumping off a ledge with friends.

“We are heartbroken to share that our son Nico has passed away,” his parents Lorena and Juan said in a statement.

The incident was one of four reported shark attacks in two days off the NSW coast.

“Nico was a happy, friendly, sports-loving little boy with the most kind and generous spirit. He was always full of energy and that’s how we remember him,” added his family from Argentina.

Nico’s friends were praised for their bravery after they jumped into the water to help him after he was attacked on Sunday afternoon.

However, he suffered serious leg injuries and was taken to Sydney Children’s Hospital in a critical condition. After undergoing surgery, he was placed in an induced coma.

An online fundraiser for Nico’s family has raised $240,000 (£121,308).

There have been a number of shark attacks along Australia’s east coast in the past week, including three in Sydney.

A surfer on Sydney’s northern beaches escaped uninjured from a lurking shark on Monday, hours after a 27-year-old man suffered “life-changing” injuries in a shark attack at a nearby beach.

A day later, a man was rescued from the water after being bitten by a shark on the NSW mid-north coast.

The 39-year-old man suffered chest injuries and was taken to hospital.

The attack came after days of heavy rain, which experts said created a “perfect storm” of conditions for bull sharks, which prefer murky water.

They also say rain washes nutrients into the water, which attracts sharks closer to shore.

To protect the public, beaches across Sydney were closed until the weather improved, with many reopening over the Australia Day public holiday long weekend.