Sydney Surfer's Shark Scare: Drones Silent

A close call with a suspected great white shark at Sydney's Curl Curl Beach has highlighted concerns about the new shark surveillance drone program. Luke Petersen, a bodyboarder, described a 3.5-meter shark approaching within a meter of him on Tuesday morning. He managed to alert other surfers and a swimmer to evacuate the water safely.

Mr. Petersen reported that no drones were visible during the encounter and criticized the authorities for their slow response, with shark alarms sounding more than an hour after the sighting. He noted the difficulty in organizing a response due to surf clubs being unstaffed during winter and emphasized the communication issues. Despite a recent $34 million investment in shark-spotting drones operating daily across numerous beaches, Mr. Petersen stated he has seen minimal evidence of their patrol in the area.

Another surfer, Tom Bawdy, corroborated the absence of drones at the time of the sighting. Surf Life Saving NSW, however, stated that a drone operator was already in the air and diverted to the southern end of the beach upon receiving the report, corroborating the sighting and activating its alarm. This incident occurs amid a concerning rise in shark attacks across Australia this year, including four fatalities and one severe injury in New South Wales alone.