Sydney shark attack: Hunt for great white that killed swimmer - BBC News

Australian authorities are searching for the great white shark that killed a man in Sydney's first fatal attack in 59 years.

Most of the city's beaches were shut on Thursday with swimmers banned from the water after Wednesday's attack.

Authorities say the male victim was mauled by a great white shark just off Little Bay in east Sydney.

Officials have not formally identified the man but said they believed he was a 35-year-old from Wolli Creek.

Shark attacks in Sydney are uncommon because the city has long had nets and other deterrents in its waters.

On Thursday, surf lifesavers on jet skis patrolled a 25km (15.5 mile) stretch of water from Bondi in the city's east to Cronulla in the south to find the shark. Authorities are also using helicopters and drones.

The state government said its shark experts had estimated the predator to be a great white shark "at least three metres" in length based on footage of the incident taken by a member of the public.