‘She was extremely brave’: Shark bite victim identified as Sydney kayaker

The victim of a shark attack in Sydney Harbour has been identified as keen kayaker Lauren O’Neill.

The 29-year-old was swimming near a private wharf in Elizabeth Bay, where neighbours said she had recently bought a unit, when she was bitten on the leg by a shark.

Lauren O’Neill has been identified as the victim of a shark bite. Credit: Wolter Peeters

Neighbour Michael Porter heard O’Neill’s “soft yell” for help outside his window just before 8pm on Monday. He looked out to see her clinging to a ladder on the wharf.

“She was trying to climb in and behind her was her leg, which was completely open and full of dark red blood behind her,” Porter said.

He called triple zero rushing to O’Neill’s side as more neighbours came with towels to help put pressure on the wound.

Luckily, a vet lived nearby and was able to apply a makeshift tourniquet to a surprisingly calm O’Neill.

“She was extremely brave, she was very brave through the whole thing. She was lucid and knew everything that was going on, and as she started to lose blood she started to lose a little bit of consciousness, but we just followed the triple zero respondent’s advice to try and keep her awake,” Porter said.

“She wasn’t in a panicked state at all, she was very calm.

“It was surreal, we’ve always been worried and known about sharks in the harbour … it’s only now that it feels very real.”

Neighbour Michael Porter stayed by the victim’s side.Credit: Brook Mitchell

Witnesses say O’Neill was swimming around boats moored close to shore – outside the netted private harbour pool attached to her apartment block.

While the vet attended to O’Neill’s wounds, witnesses say they saw another swimmer out further in the bay, and yelled at them to get into shore.

Jasmine, a witness who did not give her full name, said she heard screaming from her nearby apartment and came down to the marina, where many of her neighbours were gathered.

“You see them [sharks] swimming under the jetty … I always thought it was a matter of time,” she said.

O’Neill kayaking near Rushcutters Bay.

Larissa Kogan, from Potts Point, said she and her greyhound Rex often swim off the nearby marina. “I was going to come down for a swim last night, it was quite warm,” she said. “A lot of people will be very wary now.”

Local Judy Fernandez said many children regularly enjoy the water on kayaks and paddleboards – something she would think twice about in future. “It’s really shaken our local community,” she said.

O’Neill spoke to this masthead in 2022 calling for more storage along waterfront parks for people like herself who live in small units but love kayaking.

“It’s been really nice to get out on the harbour and explore the water from a different perspective,” she said at the time.

“Paddling past fish, all the seabirds and the glimmering water is a really relaxing way to spend your time.”

A spokesperson for St Vincent’s Hospital, where O’Neill was rushed on Monday night, said she was in a stable condition.

O’Neill’s terrifying ordeal didn’t stop one man from getting in the same water hours later. The Herald saw a swimmer early on Tuesday doing laps not far from where the attack happened.

Agriculture Minister Tara Moriarty said shark biologists would work to identify the species of shark involved. “Our thoughts are with the young woman and her family,” Moriarty said.

Local and regular swimmer Andre Aravena, 55, at Elizabeth Bay at the scene of a shark attack.Credit: Brook Mitchell

The Department of Primary Industries is investigating and believes a bull shark is the animal responsible, based on photographs of the bite marks.

DPI has been contacted for comment.

Shark attacks in Sydney Harbour are rare, but the area is an important habitat for adult and sub-adult bull sharks.

Tagging and tracking in the past 15 years has revealed bull sharks use all areas of the harbour from Parramatta and Lane Cove rivers to Middle and North harbours.

They prefer water temperatures above 20 degrees, slightly deeper water during the day and shallower water at night and are more active at dawn and dusk.

People should take extra care in murky, dirty water, after high rainfall or floods, where lots of baitfish and diving birds are around and within one kilometre of a river, the NSW government says.

With AAP

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