Saturday's attack was the latest in a series of shark encounters off Australian beaches. The week before, a man died after being attacked by a shark while fishing off the coast of Western Australia.

Suffering severe injuries to her limbs, the woman was airlifted to hospital for immediate treatment.

A woman in her 30s is being treated by NSW Ambulance after being bitten by a shark at the eastern suburbs beach.

A woman has been attacked by a shark at Sydney's popular Coogee Beach.