Rest in Peace: Nico Antic, 12, Dies After Sydney, Australia Shark Attack

Originally posted on SURFER | By Dashel Pierson | Last updated Jan 24, 2026 10:55 AM ET

Nico Antic, the 12-year-old boy who was attacked by a shark in Sydney, has died.

Last Sunday, Nico was swimming in the suburb of Vaucluse, jumping off a rock into the water with a group of friends. Then, within the murky waters, he was attacked by a suspected bull shark. One of his friends jumped in after Antic, and dragged him ashore.

This was the beginning of a series of attack in the Sydney, Australia area. After the incident, Nico was in the hospital in dire condition. According to a GoFundMe account, set up by a family friend, he was facing the “worst possible outcome.”

Now, in a statement from the young boy’s family issued on Saturday, January 24th, Nico has passed away. The statement reads:

“We are heartbroken to share that our son, Nico, has passed away. Nico was a happy, friendly, and sporty young boy with the most kind and generous spirit. He was always full of life and that’s how we’ll remember him.

“We would like to sincerely thank the first responders and teams at Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick for everything they did to care for Nico. We would also like to thank everyone in the community for their support and kind messages.”

Nico was just the first in a spate of shark attacks that rocked the Sydney area over 48 hours. Another victim, 27-year-old surfer Andre de Ruyter, was mauled while in the water at North Steyne beach near Manly. In that instance, fellow surfers in the water pulled de Ruyter to shore, where medical teams rushed to his rescue. The latest update on de Ruyter is that he’s “been placed in stable condition.”

Experts are attributing the shark attack spree to heavy rains, which hit the region recently, causing murky water and a “perfect storm for bull sharks.”

Rest in peace, Nico Antic.

This article first appeared on SURFER and was syndicated with permission.

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