Great white bites surfer's board; Cabarita Beach closed

A Northern New South Wales surfer escaped a potentially fatal encounter when a great white shark took a chunk out of his board at Cabarita Beach early on Monday, leaving Brad Ross uninjured but prompting the immediate closure of the popular stretch and a wide safety response. Witnesses say the incident occurred about dawn, with drone footage later showing a large shark in the area and surf life saving authorities deploying additional monitoring as the search for the animal continued.

Ross, a Cabarita resident, was riding the morning break when the shark struck, delivering a clean bite that split his board in two. He remained in the water briefly and then made it safely to shore with no injuries. The bite left a stark, wide impression on the board, underscoring the power of the encounter. Drone footage captured the presence of a sizeable great white not far offshore, and footage shared online showed the moment of impact. Surf Life Saving NSW and local authorities quickly responded, closing Cabarita Beach at Norries Headland to water activity and directing beachgoers to avoid the area until further notice.

The incident marks the second shark-related event at Cabarita Beach in a...