But most of all there was sympathy for the young woman and the realisation that it might be reckoning time for Sydney’s harbour swimmers.
For those of us regularly taking the plunge,bull sharks are our worst nightmare,but what are the odds? That’s what we tell ourselves three mornings a week as we leap from the side of our little boat into the Parramatta River and swim a short distance ashore to Greenwich Baths to do our 20 laps.
Over the post-swim coffee and “badinage”,we invariably reflect on our great fortune to have this ritual and the many benefits beyond mere healthful exercise,joking lightly that we just have to get back to the boat without any shark encounters.
We know we are not alone in our love of saltwater swimming. Swimming groups abound here in Sydney,some of them formal and many others just a loose gaggle of friends and neighbours uniting over Speedos and goggles to enjoy the largely free beach and harbour assets the city offers.
With an ever-swelling population and rising temperatures,our. include a new swimming enclosure,while plans for the,including Putney Park in Putney,McIlwaine Park in Rhodes East and Bayview Park in Concord,which opened late last year.
Just a year ago we saw the opening of a,the first of a series of sparkling foreshore plans dangled before our eyes in 2021 by City of Sydney Mayor Clover Moore,that is,of course,if the water quality can be improved.
Other sites presented in tempting artist’s impressions included Pirrama Park in Pyrmont,Rushcutters Bay,a spectacular floating island aquapark in Glebe and an enclosure at Elizabeth Bay’s Beare Park.
The enclosure at Elizabeth Bay,probably the most easily achieved of all these plans,is yet to be realised. Had there been a safe public enclosure for swimming,Lauren O’Neill,the young woman who was attacked by the shark,would most likely be enjoying a normal Tuesday today.
And the rest of the city wouldn’t be demonising sharks (it’s their habitat,remember!) and catastrophising about the dangers of harbour and ocean swimming.
We are a water-loving country and a city gifted with some of the best natural waterways and beaches on the planet. If we can make them safe for swimming,many,many more of us will have the opportunity to enjoy them.
When something like this happens and it makes world headlines,it’s all too easy to get the JAWS soundtrack in your head on loop and ask why would you swim at dusk. But the temptation to dive into the briny deep on a steamy morning or at the end of a long and very hot Sydney day can be irresistible if you are fortunate enough to have it close. In fact,just last week I was so tempted when I had an hour to spare off Balmain that I stripped down to my bra,knickers and t-shirt and had an invigorating dip.
As I write,we are yet to hear the full extent of Lauren O’Neill’s injuries and I wish her a full recovery. I also hope that the event serves as a prompt to Sydney Water and the various local councils involved that the residents of this growing city want to enjoy its waterways safely,and soon.
And when the emojis flood into my WhatsApp swimming channel tomorrow morning asking how many people on the tinny,rest assured I will reply with a raised hand.
Karyn Curtis is a writer,podcaster and gerontologist.