A Greek expat surfer tragically lost his life today after being attacked by a large shark in the waters of Sydney. According to Neos Kosmos, 57-year-old Mercury Psilakis leaves behind his wife and a young daughter.

The experienced surfer sustained critical injuries from the attack at Dee Why beach shortly after 10 a.m. on Saturday (local time), while surfing with friends about 100 meters from the shore.

He was pulled from the water by fellow surfers, but had lost a significant amount of blood and died on the spot, said Police Inspector Stuart Thomson. Inspector John Duncan described it as a huge tragedy.
“It’s something terrible, terrible. It’s one of those horrific incidents that happen very rarely… With tomorrow being Father’s Day, the tragedy is even more painful,” he emphasized.

According to Inspector Duncan, the victim “lost many parts of his body.” Two pieces of his surfboard were recovered and have been sent for examination, police added.

So far, it has not been determined which species of shark was responsible for the attack, which led authorities to close certain beaches today.

This is the first fatal shark attack in Australia’s most populous city since the death of a 35-year-old British diving instructor in February 2022 at Little Bay, further south. The previous deadly shark attack in Sydney was recorded in 1963.