The incident occurred at Crowdy Bay beach, about 350 kilometers north of Sydney in the state of New South Wales. Another person, a man, was injured in the leg in the attack.
They knew each other, and were out swimming when the shark attacked, says Timothy Bayly of the police.
Several media outlets have reported that these are Swedish citizens, but the police press department writes to TT that this is not the case:
"The police are waiting to notify relatives - I can tell you they are not from Sweden."
The beach and surrounding area have been closed, and authorities believe it was likely a bull shark that attacked.
The area is so remote that there are no lifeguard services there at all, Steven Pearce, head of the organization Surf Life Saving NSW, told a local radio station.
As recently as September, another fatal shark attack occurred in the state, when a surfer lost his life off Sydney.
