A surfer died on Sunday after being bitten by a shark off a surfing beach on Australia's east coast, paramedics said.

The incident took place off the Emerald Beach, some 550 km (342 miles) north of Sydney.

"Despite the best efforts of bystanders, paramedics and other emergency services the patient sadly died at the scene," New South Wales Ambulance said on its Twitter account.

The beach, about 20 km (12 miles) north of Coffs Harbour, was closed after the incident, Coffs Harbour Lifeguards officials said.

The surfer was believed to be in his late 20s and was bitten in the arm, media reported.

Australia ranked behind only the United States in the number of unprovoked shark encounters with humans in 2019, according to the University of Florida's International Shark Attack File.