“BEYOND THE BITE: The tragedy of a 12-year-old boy in Australia has taken an unsettling turn

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31/01/2026

Family and friends of a 12-year-old boy mauled by a shark during an afternoon swim with friends on Sunday have given a grim update on his prognosis.

Nico Antic was jumping off rocks into the water near Shark Beach in Vaucluse, NSW, when the predator, believed to be a bull shark, attacked, leaving him with catastrophic injuries.

Both his legs were severely injured and he is in a critical condition in Sydney Children’s Hospital after undergoing emergency surgery on Sunday night.

His parents, originally from South America, are at his bedside. On Wednesday, an immediate family member reportedly told the Daily Mail that Nico is “still asleep, but will not be able to make it because his brain is completely unresponsive”.

“He is a sporty kid and never fails to put a smile on people’s faces. He is loved by many friends and family.”

Nico has been described as a “sporty kid”. Credit: Unknown/GoFundMe

On Tuesday, family friend Victor Piñeiro, who has set up a GoFundMe campaign to support the Antic family, gave a bleak update on the boy’s condition in a statement to support the fundraising efforts.

“Despite all efforts, this heartbreaking event has led to the worst possible outcome,” he wrote.

“We are raising funds to help the Antic family cover upcoming expenses and related arrangements during this incredibly difficult time.”

Nico’s plight has inspired around 1500 people to donate to the GoFundMe campaign. As of 12.30pm AEDT, it had raised $113,000.

Among those donating was Kate Barley, whose 15-year-old son Khai Cowley died in a shark attack in 2023.

“From one mum to another, my heart is holding you so tightly. I lost my beautiful boy Khai in a shark attack in SA — he was only 15 — and I know how unbearable this waiting and fear can be. Your precious boy is in our thoughts and prayers, and your family is being held with deep love and strength right now,” she wrote.

Speaking of the courageous efforts to save Nico, Superintendent Joseph McNulty earlier this week said one of his friends had bravely jumped into the water to help him in the moments after the attack before two others helped pull him onto a nearby rock.

The police boat arrived soon after with officer aboard applying tow tourniquets, one for each leg to stem the bleeding.

He was given a blood transfusion while in the ambulance on his way from the Rose Bay ferry wharf to the hospital in Randwick.

NSW Ambulance inspector Giles Buchanan said of the rescue effort that it was “touch and go” the whole way to the hospital.

Nico’s attack was the beginning of a spree of shark attacks in NSW over three days. Andre de Ruyter was left in critical condition after an attack at Manly’s North Steyne Beach on Monday night and an 11-year-old boy had a close call after his surfboard was bitten at Dee Why on Monday morning.

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Family and friends continue to push for transparency, while the influencer community mourns a vibrant voice silenced too soon.

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