Hundreds paddle off Bondi Beach for boy killed by shark

SYDNEY, Australia — Hundreds of swimmers and surfers paddled their boards into the waves off Australia's Bondi Beach on Sunday in memory of a 12-year-old boy who died after being attacked by a shark in Sydney Harbour.

Family and friends formed in a large circle in the ocean, splashing the water to honour the youngster, Nico Antic, television images showed.

"We love this kid so much, our Nico. We're going to miss him, miss him forever," the boy's father told people gathered on the Sydney beach, according to a report in the Sydney Morning Herald.

Nico Antic was part of a "nippers" junior lifesaving program at North Bondi.

A suspected bull shark bit him on January 18 as he played with friends on a Sydney Harbour beach, jumping off a rock into the water.

He suffered serious leg injuries, and less than a week later, his parents said he had died in hospital.

"A beautiful tribute for Nico," his Sydney school posted in a message on social media with a photo of the Bondi Beach paddle-out.

The shark attack was one of four recorded in the span of 48 hours in New South Wales, prompting the authorities to temporarily close dozens of beaches.

Officials said heavy rain draining into the harbour and ocean beaches had turned the water brackish, raising the risk of shark attacks.

There have been more than 1,280 shark incidents around Australia since 1791, of which more than 250 resulted in death, according to a database of the predators' encounters with humans.