A teenager bodyboarding with friends has been killed in a shark attack north of Coffs Harbour on the New South Wales mid north coast.

The man, thought to be 18 years old, died at Campbell’s Beach after receiving severe leg injuries.

It is understood he had been bodyboarding with friends 100 metres off Riecks Point when he got into trouble.

His friends managed to drag him back to the beach where he was treated by paramedics.

A NSW ambulance spokesperson says the teenager died of traumatic cardiac arrest following the attack.

“Attempts were made to resuscitate him when he was brought to the shore, but he died at the scene,” the spokesperson said.

Coffs Harbour Council lifeguard team leader Greg Hackfath says the reef is a popular spot for body boarders but shark attacks are rare in the area.

“I can only recall, in the 35 years I’ve been here, of two shark attacks, both of those were only little,” he said.

“It very, very unusual. We don’t know details of what type of shark it is yet but it could be a rogue shark that has just been travelling through the area.

“He could have just been at the wrong place at the wrong time. We will probably never know that.”

The death comes just a week after Queensland surfer Chris Boyd, 35, was killed by a shark while surfing the Umbies break off Gracetown, about 270 kilometres south of Perth.