Fisherman missing after potential shark attack off Newcastle coast

Rescue crews are rushing to the spot after reports a person taking part in a fishing competition fell overboard and disappeared.

Newcastle Storm: Westpac Rescue Helicopter conducting transfer to John Hunter Hospital on March 28 in rocky conditions.

A fisherman is missing, feared killed by a shark, after a suspected attack some 50km off the coast of Newcastle on Sunday afternoon.

The man is understood to have been taking part in a game fishing competition when he fell overboard before disappearing beneath the surface.

Other contestants taking part in the competition spotted a shark in the vicinity.

The man did not resurface, sparking a major search involving not only other fishing boats but marine rescue crews on the ocean and in the air.

A rescue helicopter could be seen on the flight radar flying back and forth in a strategic pattern over the area where the man was last seen.

While there was no confirmation of a shark attack, police sources said rescuers were fearing the worst.

A major search is underway with rescue helicopters currently visible on the flight radar flying back and forth in a search pattern, over the ocean off Newcastle.

NSW Police said emergency services were alerted about 1.35pm that a person had gone overboard about 35 minutes earlier.

The ensuing search, involving water police from Port Stephens and Newcastle, two rescue helicopters, Marine Rescue and 20 private vessels, continued until last light on Sunday and is set to resume at sunrise on Monday.

“No further details of the missing person can be provided at this time,” police said in a statement.

It is believed the fisherman was taking part in the NSW Game Fishing Association’s interclub state championships, which began on Friday, when he disappeared.

More than 80 boats were taking part in the annual competition, including fishermen from local areas Newcastle and Port Stephens, as well as Sydney, the Central Coast and Kiama down south.

Fishermen last week reported Great White Sharks swimming up to their boat in the same part of the ocean where a man went missing on Sunday. Picture: Facebook

Fishermen last week reported Great White Sharks swimming up to their boat in the same part of the ocean where a man went missing on Sunday. Picture: Facebook

Just last week, another game fishing boat videoed a close encounter with three great White Sharks in the exact same part of the ocean being used for the weekend’s competition.

One of the large animals could be seen swimming right up to the boat and attempting to bite a burley bag floating off the back, before swimming away.

“While the boys on X-STREAM were fishing the Newcastle Port Stephens bill fish shootout over the weekend they had a nice little encounter with a white shark the encounter happened on the shelf down on the bottom end of the wind farm zone,” Newcastle & Port Stephens Game Fish Club president Troy Radford posted on Facebook.

The fishermen said the sharks went undeterred by their efforts to make them swim away and continued to follow them for hours, something experts described as unusual.