A woman, identified as Lauren O’Neill, has been hospitalized with “serious” bite wounds to her leg after a shark attack while swimming in Sydney Harbour.

The incident occurred around 7.45 pm (8.45 am GMT) on Monday near a private wharf at Elizabeth Bay, less than 2 km (1.2 miles) from Sydney’s Opera House.

The victim, believed to have been bitten by a suspected bull shark, suffered a “serious injury to her right leg,” as stated by New South Wales Police.

Neighbors rushed to assist, with one resident reporting hearing a “soft yell” for help and witnessing the woman attempting to climb a ladder out of the harbor’s waters.

Witnesses noted that Ms. O’Neill managed to drag herself to safety onto a nearby wharf, Yahoo News reported.

A nearby veterinarian applied tourniquets and bandages to control the bleeding until paramedics arrived.

Ms. O’Neill is currently in stable condition in intensive care at St Vincent’s Hospital, where she is expected to undergo surgery.

While shark attacks in Sydney Harbour are infrequent, the area is known to be an important habitat for bull sharks and their young.

Written by B.C. Begley