Man dies after shark bite on southern Gold Coast
A man in his 50s has died after being pulled to shore by fellow surfers after being bitten by a shark on a netted southern Gold Coast beach, one of the first fatal attacks in the region in years.
Emergency services were called to Greenmount Beach at Coolangatta just after 5pm following reports of the attack.
Footage from a coastal watch camera caught the rescue efforts as they unfolded, with a number of people rushing out to meet the surfers as they came to shore.
Queensland Ambulance Service advanced care paramedic Darren Brown said paramedics were "very grateful" for the work of the group.
Surf Life Saving Queensland members training nearby were also among the first to provide help, along with Gold Coast council lifeguards.
"It would have been very traumatic for these guys as well," Mr Brown said. "But unfortunately there's a tragic incident tonight at Greenmount Beach."
The man was "pulled from the surf with quite a serious leg injury", a police spokesman said.
A Queensland Ambulance Service spokeswoman said paramedics treated a patient for "critical injuries" at the scene.
The attack is the third fatal attack in Queensland waters this year, following the deaths of Zachary Robba at North West Island in April and Matthew Tratt at Fraser Island in July.
Greenmount Beach is one of several beaches along the Gold Coast with shark controls in place, though the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries warns these do not "prevent sharks from entering" particular areas.
An attack at Kingscliff in northern NSW which killed Queensland surfer Rob Pedretti in June sparked calls for mitigation efforts in that region, with a number of other reported sightings in the Fingal region.
More to come