A shark attacked a surfer at Bondi beach last night, just a day after a navy diver lost a hand after he was bitten in nearby Sydney harbour.
The 33-year-old man, named as Glenn, had his left arm was seriously injured in the latest attack, shortly before dusk, and he was helped to shore by other surfers.
He received immediate attention from several off-duty doctors on the beach who helped to stem massive bleeding, a police spokeswoman said.
"He was conscious, his eyes were open, he was very pale and looked quite distressed," local resident Gabriel told public radio after witnessing the rescue.
The surfer was taken to St Vincent's Hospital, where a diver is still recovering after losing his hand while fighting off a shark in a rare attack in Sydney Harbour.
Able Seaman Paul de Gelder, 31, was taking part in a defence exercise near an upmarket residential area of the harbour in Australia's largest city when he was attacked Wednesday evening.
"As a result of the attack, Paul has lost his right hand above the wrist and may lose his right leg, however he is in high spirits," de Gelder's family said in a brief statement issued through the Australian Defence Force.
That attack took place near the Garden Island Naval Base in Woolloomooloo Bay, which is lined with seafood restaurants and celebrity apartments.
The diver was taking part in a trial of new technology to protect ports and ships from underwater attack, but was on the surface when the shark struck, officials said.
They said Wednesday that de Gelder had punched what was believed to be a bull shark, before it swam away.
Experts said no one had been bitten by a shark in Sydney Harbour for more than a decade and the last fatal attack was in 1963.
But the diver's mauling followed a spate of attacks on swimmers off Australian beaches last month, sending a shiver through summer holidaymakers.
Three swimmers were attacked and injured within 24 hours just two weeks after a snorkeller was killed.
A total of 194 deaths through shark attacks have been recorded in Australia over the past two centuries.
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