Shark attack pushes Australian state to review drone curbs
Officials will review drone restrictions after a shark attack left a 35-year-old woman critically injured and exposed limits on beach monitoring.
- The Civil Aviation Safety Authority will review drone restrictions over Coogee Beach to let rescuers monitor for sharks, following a June 13 attack that left a 35-year-old woman critically injured.
- Commercial drone use at Coogee Beach is restricted because the area sits directly under the flight path of Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, complicating emergency shark monitoring efforts.
- Paddleboard champion and off-duty lifeguard Charlie Verco rescued the woman after spotting a 3m to 4m-long shark near swimmers on June 13, describing himself as being "very scared."
- Prompted by the attack, New South Wales officials are considering fresh safety measures including broader drone usage, while Coogee Beach and other Randwick Council sites closed for 24 hours.
- Australia has seen a spate of shark attacks in 2026, averaging around 20 incidents annually along the east and south-east seaboard, which the New South Wales government is taking "really, really seriously.
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20 Articles
Shark attacks in Australia have increased dramatically this season.
On Saturday an Australian woman was bitten by a shark near the shore of Coogee Beach in Sydney. She is in critical but stable condition. Now drones are circling over the beach to look for sharks.
Authorities are reviewing restrictions on drones flying over Coogee Beach in Australia to allow New South Wales lifeguards to use drones to monitor sharks. The move comes after a woman was critically injured in an attack on Saturday. Emergency services were called to Coogee Beach in eastern Sydney on Saturday morning after reports that a 35-year-old woman had been bitten by a large shark about 30 metres offshore. The woman is in a critical but s…
The Independent
The Independent (US)Australia temporarily lifts ban on shark-spotting drones after attack on woman
Coogee Beach and others in the city's Randwick Council area closed for 24 hours following attack
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