A man in his 40s was rushed to hospital Friday after he was attacked by a shark off a beach north of Sydney, paramedics told AFP.

New South Wales Ambulance said the man had been bitten on his "upper and lower leg" while in the water at Lighthouse Beach, a popular surf spot made notorious by several shark attacks in recent years.

Both great white sharks and aggressive bull sharks are known to prowl the waters around Lighthouse Beach, about four hours' drive from Sydney.

A 16-year-old girl was killed by a shark in Western Australia earlier this year, after jumping into the water near a river mouth to swim with a pod of dolphins.

A large great white shark mauled a British diving instructor to death as he swam near Sydney in February 2022.