LONDON -- A man died Saturday on a beach in Sydney "after being bitten by what is believed to have been a large shark," police said.

First responders were deployed to Long Reef Beach on the Northern Beaches of Sydney in Australia's New South Wales state around 10 a.m. local time after receiving reports of a man suffering critical injuries. The unidentified man "was retrieved from the surf and brought to the shore; however, died at the scene," according to the New South Wales Police Force.

"Two sections of a surfboard have been recovered and taken for expert examination," police said in a statement. "The identity of the man is to be confirmed."

Authorities have closed the beach and are bringing in experts "to determine the species of the shark involved," according to police. Beaches between Manly and Narrabeen were also shuttered "pending further advice," police said.