Surfers Watch Their Friend Disappear Underwater, Moments Later They Find His Shark-Bitten Body
A 57-year-old surfer named Mercury Psillakis died in a shark attack on Sydney’s Northern Beaches on Saturday morning. He had been surfing for about 30 minutes when a large shark attacked him a few hundred feet from shore. His friends made it back safely, but his body, which was missing several limbs, was later found in the surf.Despite resuscitation attempts, he succumbed to his injuries. Authorities are investigating, including examining parts of his surfboard to identify the shark species involved. The incident, described by police as a rare and horrific event, has led to the closure of Long Reef Beach and nearby beaches for safety. Psillakis was a husband, father, and local plant seller, and his death is especially tragic coming just before Father’s Day.
A surfer in Sydney, Australia, died in a shark attack on Saturday morning.
It was around 10:00 a.m. when 57-year-old Mercury Psillakis and his surfboard disappeared underwater, his friends said. He’d been surfing off of Sydney’s Northern Beaches, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
New South Wales police later said in a news release that a “large shark” had killed Psillakis.
He was a few hundred feet from the shore and had only been in the water 30 minutes when the attack happened.
“His (friends) managed to make it back to the beach safely and a short time later his body was found floating in the surf and a couple of other people went out and recovered it,” New South Wales Police Inspector Stuart Thomson said at a news conference Saturday, according to 7News Australia.
His body was missing “a number of limbs,” police said.
“Unfortunately, by that time we understand he lost probably a lot of blood and attempts to resuscitate him were unsuccessful,” New South Wales Police Superintendent John Duncan remarked, according to the U.K.’s The Telegraph.
It has been a horrific day on Sydney’s northern beaches – a 57-year-old man was mauled by a shark close to shore while surfing with mates, dying before he could be pulled from the water. He has been identified as husband and father, Mercury Psillakis. @Sacre88 #7NEWS pic.twitter.com/tyHOnxLr9o
— 7NEWS Adelaide (@7NewsAdelaide) September 6, 2025
Investigators recovered two pieces of his board, which they’ll examine to determine the breed of shark.
“It’s a terrible, terrible thing and it’s one of those freak incidents that happens very very rarely,” Thomson said about the attack.
Police boats, jet skis, and a rescue helicopter attempted to spot the shark, but to no avail.
The touching tribute shark attack victim organised for a fellow surfer who died just months before his own tragic death https://t.co/Wy1swVk8sE
— Daily Mail (@DailyMail) September 6, 2025
Long Reef Beach, where Psillakis was killed, will likely be closed the next few days, while other nearby beaches will shut down for at least 24 hours.
A local business owner in the Northern Beaches community said Psillakis was well-known for selling rare and exotic plants, according to 7News Australia.
He was also a husband and a father, according to the U.K.’s Daily Mail.
“We understand he leaves behind a wife and a young daughter — with [Sunday] being Father’s Day, it’s particularly tragic,” Thompson said.
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