Sydney Surfer Mauled to Death in Fatal Shark Attack at Long Reef Beach

Surfers exit the water after authorities closed Long Reef Beach in Sydney following a shark attack on September 6, 2025

A 57-year-old surfer was killed in a fatal shark attack off Long Reef Beach in northern Sydney on Saturday, September 6, marking the city’s first deadly shark encounter since 2022.

The experienced surfer, identified as Mercury Psillakis, was in the water with five or six friends when a large shark attacked him more than 300 feet offshore. Witnesses said Psillakis spotted the predator first and warned others to band together and head for shore. As he tried to return, the shark struck from behind, severing his legs and leaving him with catastrophic injuries. Fellow surfers pulled him from the water, but despite life-saving efforts, he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Residents walk along the shoreline as northern Sydney beaches are closed following a suspected shark attack at Long Reef Beach on September 6, 2025

Police superintendent John Duncan confirmed that the victim lost “a number of limbs” in the attack, believed to have been carried out by a great white shark measuring up to 12 feet. Two broken pieces of Psillakis’ surfboard were recovered for expert analysis.

Authorities closed a seven-mile stretch of beaches from Manly to Narrabeen as police and marine biologists investigated. NSW shark biologists later assessed damage to the surfboard and concluded a white shark approximately 3.4–3.6 meters long was likely responsible.

Emergency services vessels and a helicopter are deployed, following an incident at Long Reef Beach where a surfer died after being attacked by a large shark, in Dee Why near Sydney, Australia September 6, 2025

The victim leaves behind a wife and young daughter. “Merc spotted the shark early, informed the other surfers in the water to band together and to try and get back to shore safely,” said his friend Toby Martin. “In that process, unfortunately…the shark beelined for the back of Merc and severed his legs quite severely.”

This attack marks Australia’s fourth fatal shark incident this year. Nationwide, sharks are responsible for an average of six deaths annually, according to the International Shark Attack File. Since 1791, more than 1,280 shark incidents have been recorded in Australian waters, with over 250 proving fatal.

A great white shark swims close to the surface of the shark tagging vessel in the ocean

Officials deployed additional smart drumlines off Dee Why and Long Reef beaches, as well as drone and jet ski patrols to monitor shark activity. Authorities reminded beachgoers that sharks are present year-round in New South Wales waters, influenced by ocean conditions and food availability.

The last fatal shark attack in Sydney occurred in February 2022, when 35-year-old diving instructor Simon Nellist was killed at Little Bay, the city’s first such tragedy since 1963.