Teenager Known for Lifesaving Skills Is Killed in Shark Attack in Australia
Australia|Teenager Known for Lifesaving Skills Is Killed in Shark Attack in Australia
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/04/world/australia/australia-shark-attack-girl-killed.html
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Charlize Zmuda, 17, died after being bitten by a shark off Woorim Beach, a popular spot in Queensland, on Monday afternoon.
A teenage girl died on Monday after being bitten by a shark while swimming at a popular beach in Queensland on Australia’s eastern coast, according to the authorities.
The teenager, Charlize Zmuda, had been in the water off Woorim Beach, a surf spot about 45 miles north of Brisbane, when she was attacked by the shark just before 5 p.m.
Paramedics rushed to treat Ms. Zmuda, 17, who had sustained “life-threatening upper body injuries,” the Queensland Ambulance Service said in a statement. She died on the beach from her injuries, according to the Queensland police.
It was unclear what kind of shark attacked Ms. Zmuda. The beach was closed until further notice, Surf Life Saving Queensland, the state’s aquatic rescue group, told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Queensland Police said in a statement that it would prepare a report for the coroner on the encounter.
Ms. Zmuda, a student, had grown up swimming in the area and was a skilled lifeguard, according to her family and Surf Life Saving Queensland. Ms. Zmuda had helped lead a patrol group and volunteered for a program teaching children ocean rescue skills, her family said. She was also musically talented, they said, and sang and played several instruments.
“She loved the beach, and it was truly was her happiest place on earth,” her family said in a statement shared with local media. “She loved four-wheel-driving up the beach, and anyone who went with her knew they would have to stop and pick up every piece of rubbish she saw along the way.”