A young woman who was mauled to death by a shark in Australia has been identified, as her partner who fought to save her remains in a critical condition.
Swiss academic Livia Mühlheim, 25, was taking an early morning swim with boyfriend Lukas Schindler, 26, in unpatrolled waters when they were mauled by a bull shark.
The incident occurred off Kylies Beach at Crowdy Bay, south of Port Macquarie, New South Wales, known to be a shark hotspot, at about 6.30am on Thursday.
Ms Mühlheim, a former synchronised swimmer, had been filming a pod of dolphins with a GoPro when the shark bit her several times, tearing off her left arm.
Mr Schindler, an exchange student who had recently qualified as a diving instructor, tried to fight off the three-metre shark but was bitten twice on the leg.
Despite his injuries, Mr Schindler dragged his partner more than 50 metres to shore, where bystanders rushed to help.
Emergency services were called around 6.30am but Ms Mühlheim succumbed to her injuries before paramedics arrived, while Mr Schindler was stabilised by emergency services before being airlifted to John Hunter Hospital where he remains in critical condition.
Police said a passer-by who made a tourniquet to stem Mr Schindler’s bleeding had likely saved his life, with NSW Ambulance superintendent Josh Smyth calling her actions “heroic”.
The bystander dialled the emergency services whose operator quickly talked her through creating a makeshift tourniquet for Mr Schindler.
The woman was able to slow the bleeding which ultimately saved his life, authorities later said.
The couple involved in Thursday's attack were both exceptionally fit and experienced swimmers.
Mr Schindler completed the Sydney Marathon in a time of 2 hours and 59 minutes in August, and holds an Open Water Scuba Instructor certificate from the Professional Association of Diving Instructors, while Ms Mühlheim was a former synchronised swimmer and passionate runner.
The authorities are now reviewing “harrowing footage” captured by the couple shortly before the attack.
Kylies Beach has been closed as drones are deployed in an attempt to locate the attacker, with early indications suggesting it was a large mature bull shark.
Bull sharks are considered “potentially dangerous to people”, and are the third deadliest shark species recorded by the International Shark Attack File.
This was the fifth fatal shark attack in Australia this year.
It comes less than three months after Mercury Psillakis, 57, was killed by a 3.5-metre great white shark at Long Reef in Sydney, with the surfer being pulled out of the water missing “both his legs.”
