Ambulance crews have described the horrific scene they witnessed when they arrived at Sydney's Little Bay beach on Wednesday afternoon after receiving a frantic call for help following a shark attack.
Shortly after 4:30pm, four ambulances and a rescue helicopter rushed to Buchan Point, on the northern side of the beach.
"Unfortunately this person had suffered catastrophic injuries as a result of the attack and there was nothing paramedics could do when we arrived on the scene," Inspector Lucky Phrachanh, from NSW Ambulance, said.
Police searching the area found human remains in the ocean.
It was the first fatal shark attack at a Sydney beach in almost 60 years.
Randwick Mayor Dylan Parker said the community was in shock.
"The coast is our community's backyard," he said.
"Little Bay is normally such a calm, beautiful place, enjoyed by families.
"To lose someone to a shark like this is chilling. We are all in shock."
Randwick City Council has closed its beaches including Little Bay, Malabar, Maroubra, Coogee, Clovelly and La Perouse for 24 hours.
The Council said it was the first fatal shark attack in the area in recent memory.
A non-fatal shark attack happened at Congwong Beach, further south in Botany Bay, in February 2018.
The last fatal shark attack on a Sydney beach was in 1963 at Sugarloaf Bay in Middle Harbour.
Late Wednesday, a rescue helicopter continued to hover above the area.
Search teams placed green dye in the water to work out which way the currents were moving as they tried to find more remains.
One man described to the ABC how he was fishing off rocks on the point and saw a man wearing a wetsuit swimming across the bay.
He said the man was right in front of him when he was dragged under the water by a large shark.
"He was yelling at first, and then when he went down there were so many splashes," the man said.
"The shark won't stop."
He said the attack lasted for several seconds.
"It was terrible. I am shaking," he said.
I keep vomiting. It's very, very upsetting
"He just went down for a swim, enjoying the day, but that shark took his life."
The Department of Primary Industries (DPI) said "smart" drumlines could be deployed in the area to monitor to capture any sharks, which would then be relocated further offshore.
"[We] will continue to work with NSW Police and Surf Life Saving NSW to monitor the area and provide any technical advice and resources if required," a spokesperson said.
"DPI extends sincere condolences to the family and friends and first responders at this tragic time."
The spokesperson advised beachgoers to download the NSW SharkSmart app, which allows people to check on the latest shark sightings by Surf Life Saving drones and on electronic detections of tagged sharks.
Police said a report would be prepared for the coroner.
