A search will resume on Monday (AEDT) for a fisherman who was reportedly “dragged” into the water by a great white shark.
The man was taking part in a fishing competition off the coast of Newcastle, NSW, on Sunday.
People on a recreational boat reported seeing someone become caught in fishing line and fall overboard, before being dragged by a shark.
The fishing competition was halted and about 80 boats joined the search for the missing entrant, Sunrise reports.
It’s the same waters where a great white was spotted in a shocking close encounter last week.
The search involved NSW Water Police, two rescue helicopters and Marine Rescue NSW.
Police and volunteer Marine Rescue will lead the search when it resumes at first light on Monday.
Marine Rescue NSW Inspector Steve Raymond said rescue vessel Port Stephens 31 was deployed about 2pm on Sunday, about 30 nautical miles (55 kilometres) east of Newcastle.
“The Marine Rescue NSW crew on board Port Stephens 31 are assisting NSW Water Police with a parallel line search after a person reportedly went overboard, during a fishing competition,” he said on Sunday.
Marine Rescue NSW vessels Terrigal 30 and Newcastle 30 were ready to assist on Monday.
Also at the weekend, a man was bitten by a shark in waters off Moreton Island near Brisbane on Saturday.
He reportedly suffered abdominal and leg injuries and was in a stable condition in Brisbane’s Princess Alexandra Hospital on Sunday.
Earlier this month, teenage girl Charlize Zmuda was mauled to death while swimming at a beach north of Brisbane.
The 17-year-old suffered life-threatening injuries to her upper body during the attack and died soon after she was pulled from the water at Bribie Island’s Woorim Beach.
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