One Aussie surfer has admitted he is ‘rattled’ following the spate of incidents.

Max White opted against going into the water on Monday and not long after he was helping wth the rescue of a surfer attacked by a shark. Source: Adam Lucius

An Australian beachside community is terrified and reluctant to return to the water after two horrifying shark attacks on local beaches in less than 24 hours.

The popular 30km stretch from Sydney’s Palm Beach to Manly was eerily quiet on Tuesday morning as surf skis patrolled the line-up to ensure no one ventured out following the previous day’s attacks at Dee Why and North Steyne.

With school holidays ongoing and Australia Day just days away, Sydney’s ordinarily bustling northern beaches are empty and closed for at least 48 hours following the two incidents.

An 11-year-old boy was lucky to escape with only a large bite taken from his surfboard after being confronted by a shark at Dee Why on Monday morning.

Just hours later, a man in his 20s suffered extensive leg injuries and is in a critical condition after being mauled in murky conditions at North Steyne in the early evening.

It came a day after a 12-year-old boy was bitten by what is believed to be a bull shark while swimming at Vaucluse in Sydney Harbour, in the city’s east.

On Tuesday, a fourth attack sent shockwaves along the East Coast.

Two men sat at Manly Beach for a coffee, with not a soul on the sand or in the water on what should be an ordinarily busy day. Source: Adam Lucius.

Young Aussie warned moments before shark attack

Manly local and North Steyne Boardriders Club member, Max White, was about to go for a surf on Monday afternoon when he was warned by mates not to risk it due to the polluted water.

He took their advice and sat on a nearby bench before jumping into action to provide assistance as soon as he saw the shark drama unfolding.

The 25-year-old is unsure when he will paddle out again.

“It’s a little bit rattling coming back down to the beach this morning and looking out at the water and not seeing a soul even touching the shallows,” he told Yahoo News.

“I’m from here and surf every day, along with a thousand other people, so it’s just horrific to have this happen in our backyard.

“The surf looks alright today, but I think it’s going to be a while before I get back in the water.

“We’ll see what happens, but everyone on the northern beaches is on edge.

“Manly Beach was the one beach in the world where I thought I’d be safe from something like this, but obviously not.”

Dozens of beachgoers raced to the aid of a surfer who was injured at Manly Beach on Monday evening. Source: Yahoo News Australia

The tight-knit North Steyne community met at the beach on Tuesday to go over the events of the previous evening and offer support, comfort and thanks to those who provided medical attention and care to the injured surfer.

“We just had a debrief with all of the boys, which was nice, but it’s a weird feeling,” White continued.

“We just hope the guy is going to be OK, but everyone’s just terrified about going in the water.

“Despite this surf (being good), there wasn’t even any talk of going in and I think it will be a long time before you see Manly reach its full capacity again.”

Eighty-five-year-old Ray Moran, who has lived at Manly since 1964 and is the area’s surf historian, is at the beach every day.

He has moved his daily swim to a nearby netted pool in Manly Cove and warned others about the perils of swimming after heavy rain.

“Over the years I’ve learnt not to swim early in the morning or at night, especially when the water’s dirty after rain,” he said.

“I will be giving it a miss for at least four days and advise others to do the same.

“You’ve got to be sensible about it and show some self-discipline, but we just hope this poor bloke will pull through.

“It’s a terrible, terrible thing to happen at a place we love so much.”