Sydney's Coogee Beach reopened Monday under heavy patrol, two days after a shark attack left a 35-year-old woman critically injured.
Lifeguards and jet ski patrols monitored the shoreline, while Surf Life Saving NSW deployed a shark-spotting drone. The victim was bitten by a 3 to 4-meter shark roughly 30 meters from shore, sustaining severe injuries to her arms and lower left leg. She remains hospitalized in stable condition.
The incident has forced a regulatory review of aerial surveillance. Coogee sits directly under a flight path for Sydney Airport, normally restricting drone flights.
It is the latest in a series of encounters off Australian beaches. A Reuters analysis shows the country averages nearly 29 shark incidents per year over the last decade, up from roughly 16 in the 2000s.
New South Wales Agriculture Minister Tara Moriarty said the state is prioritizing technology-based safety measures, adding that "nothing is off the table." The attack has also reignited debate over culling, a proposal rejected by current officials for a species protected under environmental law.