Charlie Verco, the paddleboarder who rescued a woman being attacked by a shark at Coogee in Sydney, described the incident as 'shocking'. The elite athlete was training for the world championships when he heard a swimmer shouting 'shark'.
Rescue at Coogee
Verco, a trained surf life saver, initially thought the shark was inquisitive, but then saw a woman being dragged. 'There was a lot of blood in the water,' he said. The shark, about 3.5 metres long, released its grip, allowing Verco to help the woman onto his board. She lost consciousness, so he paddled her to shore with one hand.
Aftermath
The woman, in her 30s, suffered arm and leg injuries and was taken to St Vincent's hospital in critical condition. Beaches from Bondi to Maroubra were closed for 24 hours. This was the fourth serious shark incident in Sydney since September 2025.
