A tourist who was attacked by a shark has been identified in a recent incident, with her partner now in critical condition at the hospital. Livia Muhlheim and Lukas Schindler, a couple from Switzerland, were swimming early in the morning at Kylies Beach in Crowdy Bay, Australia, when they encountered a three-meter bull shark that attacked them suddenly.
Schindler, a certified diving instructor, bravely tried to save his girlfriend as the shark bit her arm. Despite his efforts, Muhlheim tragically succumbed to her injuries before medical help could arrive. She suffered multiple bites, leading to the loss of her left arm, before Schindler was able to fend off the shark. However, he sustained two bites on his leg during the struggle, yet he managed to carry Muhlheim 50 meters to safety on the shore.
After the incident, Schindler rushed to find help while Muhlheim’s life was slipping away. A bystander noticed his distress and called emergency services. Schindler is currently in critical condition at the hospital. Just before the shark attack, he had been filming a group of dolphins using his GoPro. Muhlheim, the victim, was a successful academic and former synchronized swimmer.
A witness at the scene recounted seeing paramedics attending to both individuals on the beach. This tragic event follows the fatal shark attack of 57-year-old Mercury Psillakis at Dee Why, located 300 kilometers south of the recent incident.
The couple previously worked together as Security Operators at the World Economic Forum. Schindler’s background includes achievements in athletics and his professional career, including coaching gymnastics and serving in the Swiss Armed Forces as a first lieutenant. He later pursued a Bachelor of Business Administration at the University of St Gallen, where he met Muhlheim in 2024.
Muhlheim had completed her Master’s degree in Accounting and Finance at the same university and had started a promising career at a financial consulting firm in 2024.