A woman has suffered horrific injuries to her hips, back and buttocks after being bitten by a shark during a morning swim.
She had been swimming at Merimbula, on the New South Wales south coast, with a friend at 7am on Saturday when she was attacked.
The woman, believed to be in her 60s, was swimming off the main beach, which has now been closed.
Authorities are scouring 30km of coastline, closing all nearby beaches on what would have been a packed 33C day, to search for the shark.
Woman rushed to hospital after being bitten by a SHARK during a swim at a popular beach - as experts close 30km of shoreline in hunt for the beast (pictured, the Merimbula sandbar)