A large shark killed a man surfing with friends over the weekend in a fatal attack in southeast Australian waters, local officials said.

The incident took place off the northern beaches in Sydney , the New South Wales Police Force said in a news release. The city, the capital of the state of New South Wales, is the largest in the country.

Police said emergency personnel responded to Long Reef Beach for reports about a man who had suffered critical injuries just after 10 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 6.

The attack near Long Reef Beach occurred more than 300 feet offshore, police said.

During a news conference, police superintendent John Duncan told reporters a 57-year-old man had been surfing with about five or six friends prior to the attack.

The surfer, Duncan said, was "found floati

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