A Newport shark encounter ended without injury after a large shark seized a speared fish and pulled the spear gun from one man’s hands at Newport Reef.
Shark Takes Catch At Newport Reef
The two men, both in their 20s, were spearfishing at the reef on Wednesday, 1 July 2026, when one of them caught a fish with a spear gun.
A large shark approached after the fish had been impaled. The men believed it was a bronze whaler, although the species was not officially confirmed.
One of the spearfishermen believed blood from the fish may have drawn the shark towards them. It moved in rapidly, seized the catch and pulled the spear gun from his hands before swimming away with both.
The pair quickly left the water and went up the beach to alert a Surf Life Saving NSW drone pilot.
Emergency Response After Newport Shark Encounter
Just after 1:15 pm, the drone patrol reported a possible shark attack at Newport Beach.
NBC lifeguards and NSW Ambulance crews responded to the beach near Barrenjoey Road. A CareFlight rescue helicopter was also tasked from Westmead.
Paramedics and lifeguards spoke with the men and confirmed that neither had been injured. The emergency response was then stood down, including the helicopter deployment.
Council lifeguards closed Newport Beach following the encounter.
A NSW Department of Primary Industries shark management vessel was later seen checking Shark Management Alert in Real Time, or SMART, drumlines off Avalon, Bilgola and Newport beaches.
Encounter Coincides With Expanded Drone Patrols
The encounter occurred on the first day of expanded year-round Surf Life Saving NSW drone patrols on the Northern Beaches.
The $34 million expansion extended drone coverage to every ocean beach in the area, with stations providing surveillance between Palm Beach and Manly throughout the year.
Newport Beach is among the beaches covered by the expanded program. Patrols are scheduled to operate from 6:45 am until at least 4:15 pm each day, extending to 7:30 pm during summer.
Surf Life Saving NSW reported that its shark drone surveillance program had conducted more than 100,000 flights during the year to date. It also reported identifying more than 2,000 sharks and preventing interactions with swimmers and surfers over that period.
Remotely operated drone trailers are also being trialled on the Northern Beaches. Two were stationed at the headland between Bilgola and Avalon beaches while being configured for remote operation by specialists at the Surf Life Saving NSW State Operations Centre in Belrose.
Published 2-July-2026
