Woman Severely Injured After Being Attacked by Shark While Swimming in Sydney Harbour

Sydney Councillor Linda Scott said the woman sustained “severe injuries” in the attack on Monday

A woman is expected to lose her leg after she was attacked by a shark while swimming in Sydney Harbour on Monday.

The woman, believed to be in her 20s, was in Elizabeth Bay at about 7:45 p.m. local time when she was bitten on her right leg by what is believed to be a bull shark, according to The Sydney Morning Herald and The Guardian.

The woman sustained “severe injuries” in the attack west of the Marina, Sydney City Councillor Linda Scott said in a post on Facebook.

The woman was transported to St. Vincent’s Hospital in critical condition, according to The Guardian. Police said the woman was “stable” when she arrived.

Related: How to Prevent a Shark Attack and What to Do If Bitten? An American Lifeguard Association Expert Weighs In

Police were told that the woman was swimming off the wharf when the attack occurred, per the reports.

One person who lives nearby said the attack occurred “about 20 meters off from the jetty,” according to the Herald and Guardian. “There was blood all throughout the water and all over the jetty,” he added. “She was badly hurt. Her leg did not look good.”

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A woman who witnessed the incident said her wife, who is a “vet,” helped apply a tourniquet to the victim’s wound before she was taken to the hospital, 9News and the Herald reported.

“She passed out before paramedics arrived, so we were really worried for a bit,” a neighbor told the Herald, “ but by the time paramedics were there and treated her she was speaking to them.”

Related: Mom, 26, Dies in Apparent Shark Attack While Swimming With Daughter, 5, Off Mexico Coast

Councillor Linda Scott has asked people to “stay out of the harbour until further notice” following Monday’s attack. She also shared her appreciation for those who assisted during the scary ordeal.

“Thank you to the bystanders who stood in to bravely help, and to St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney for their care for the victim,” she wrote on Facebook.

Members of the Marine Area Command “are patrolling the area as a precaution” following the attack, according to Australia’s ABC News and The Guardian.

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