Surfers and swimmers have been urged to return to the water to commemorate a schoolboy who died after being mauled by a shark.

Nico Antic sustained critical injuries after he was bitten near a popular swimming spot at Vaucluse in Sydney’s east, and died on Saturday.

In memory of the 12-year-old, his school, Rose Bay Secondary College, has organised a community paddle out on Sunday morning at North Bondi.

“Nico was a happy, vibrant and social young person – widely known and deeply loved by a large network of friends,” the school said in a statement posted to social media.

“He brought warmth, energy and kindness to those around him and will be remembered for the joy he shared so freely.

“Nico will be deeply missed.”

The school highlighted Nico’s sporting achievements, noting he held its 12 years 800m athletics record.

In 2025, the college asked all students to choose a personal value they wished to be identified by.

Nico chose bravery.

His parents have remembered their son as a “happy, friendly and sporty young boy with the most kind and generous spirit, while his rugby club, the Easts Junior Beasties, described him as fearless and “forever tough”.

Nico was one of four people attacked by sharks off NSW beaches in the span of two days and his death was the first fatal shark attack inside Sydney Harbour in more than 60 years.

Surfer Mercury Psillakis, 57, was also fatally bitten by a shark at Sydney’s Long Reef beach in September.

After the spate of incidents, an extra $4.2 million was added to NSW beach safety programs, including shark tagging and monitoring, and the installation of listening stations in the harbour.

Drone patrols will be extended to seven days a week through to the end of the April school holidays, covering 30 more beaches in Sydney and along the NSW coast.

–AAP