A young Swiss woman who was killed by a shark was a competitive synchronised swimmer, with her club issuing a tragic statement about her love for the water.
Livia Mühlheim, 25, and her boyfriend Lukas Schindler, 26, were mauled by a bull shark during an early morning swim in the unpatrolled waters off Kylies Beach at Crowdy Bay, south of Port Macquarie on the NSW Mid North Coast, on Thursday.
Moments before the attack, Ms Mühlheim had been filming herself swimming with dolphins on a GoPro.
She died from her injuries before paramedics could reach the remote beach.
Ms Mühlheim was a skilled synchronised swimmer from a young age and later judged artistic swimming competitions.
She was a member of Swiss club Swim Regio Solothurn, which paid tribute to her lifelong love of the water—a passion that ended in tragedy.
'It is with deep sadness that we announce the death of Livia Mühlheim, former artistic swimmer and active judge,' the statement read.
'She died in Australia—in her beloved element, the water. On behalf of the club, we express our sincere condolences to the family.'
Ms Mühlheim had earned her Master's in Accounting and Finance from the University of St Gallen.
Ms Mühlheim was accomplished in her field, coming runner-up with her sync partner Mara Bachl in the technical duet competition at the 2019 Swiss Nationals.
She earned a Master's in Accounting and Finance from the University of St Gallen and began working at Zurich-based financial firm Bellecapital AG in May 2024, rising from junior to investment associate.
Ms Mühlheim had previously done seasonal work as a security operator at the World Economic Forum and interned at KPMG Deutschland.
Her boyfriend, Mr Schindler, had recently qualified as a diving instructor.
He swam out as fast as he could, punching the three-metre shark repeatedly before it latched onto his right leg and bit him twice.
Mr Schindler brought his girlfriend back to shore, retrieved his phone and called emergency services.
A passerby spotted the injured exchange student and, guided by paramedics over the phone, used her swimmers to apply a makeshift tourniquet to his leg.
Authorities have said her efforts likely saved Mr Schindler's life. He remained in a stable condition at John Hunter Hospital on Friday.
Both Mr Schindler and his girlfriend had only arrived at their Mid North Coast campsite late Wednesday night.
Police are now reviewing the GoPro footage captured in the lead-up to the attack and a report is being prepared for the coroner.
Authorities have launched a major operation to track down the three-metre shark, deploying drones and drum lines along the beach.
Mr Schindler completed his diving instructor's course at a Bondi dive centre and had served as a first lieutenant in the Swiss Armed Forces, according to his online posts.
Both he and his girlfriend had only arrived at their Mid North Coast campsite late on Wednesday night, other campers told The Age.
The pair set off for their morning swim at the unpatrolled beach early the next day.
Police have confirmed they are in contact with the Consulate General of Switzerland in Sydney to notify the couple's family abroad.