A tourist believed to be in his 20s died after being bitten by a shark in Australia on Thursday, police said.
New South Wales Police said a man, also believed to be in his 20s, was airlifted to hospital in a critical condition after sustaining serious injuries in the attack in Cloudy Bay, eastern Australia.
Police said emergency services were called to the area around 6:30 a.m. local time (2:30 p.m. ET Wednesday) after reports that two people had been bitten by a shark.
“Witnesses helped the couple before NSW Ambulance paramedics arrived, but the woman died at the scene,” the statement said.
Cloudy Bay is approximately 350 kilometers (217 miles) north of Sydney.
Authorities have not yet determined which type of shark was involved in the attack.
A police spokesperson told CNN on Thursday that the victim was a tourist from Switzerland.
Ambulance Superintendent Joshua Smith told journalists the woman was dead by the time paramedics arrived at the scene.
He also praised bystanders who provided first aid, including applying a tourniquet to the male victim’s leg.
Mr Smith said the tourniquet “may have saved his life and allowed NSW Ambulance paramedics to arrive and administer first aid”.
Local rescue group Surf Life Saving NSW said it would close nearby beaches for at least 24 hours while it searched for the shark using drones.
“This is a terrible tragedy and our hearts go out to the families of the women and men involved,” Surf Life Saving NSW CEO Steve Pearce said, as reported by CNN affiliate 7 News.
“We were able to quickly activate our drone capabilities and deploy assets to provide surveillance on the scene and report on any remaining hazards in the area,” he added.
“At this time, please stay away from the water and follow the instructions of lifeguards at nearby beaches.”
