Shark Attack In Southern California: Woman Spotted ‘In Distress’ Possibly Bitten By Shark


A possible shark attack occurred off a Southern California beach on Sunday, Fox 11 reported. The incident happened when lifeguards were patrolling the area off Corona del Mar State Beach in Newport Beach when a female swimmer was seen “in distress.” She had bite marks on her arms and upper torso area, authorities revealed.

Officials confirmed that the woman was transported to the hospital and was conscious and breathing.

A portion of the beach where the supposed shark attack reportedly happened was closed until further notice to swimmers.

NBC 4 reports that the shark attack unfolded around 5 p.m. Police haven’t commented on the extent of the her injuries. They’ve also been unable to provide information on a specific lifeguard tower near to where the woman was bitten. The area closed to swimmers was a 2-mile stretch of the sand from Newport Pier to Corona del Mar beach.

Officials couldn’t confirm whether it was actually a shark that bit the woman since they didn’t locate a shark in the water when the attack happened. According to the report, Rob Williams — a lifeguard with Newport Beach Fire — said it could not be ruled out that the animal bite may have come from a sea lion.

The possible shark attack victim is described as an experienced swimmer.

Soon after the incident, the water was evacuated and the stretch of the beach was to remain closed for 24 hours, Newport Beach Lifeguard Captain John Moora said.

The California Department of Parks and Recreation say that Corona del Mar State Beach is a popular destination for swimmers.

Warm weather may attract more sharks to the Southern California beach waters, experts recently said.

An article in California Diver revealed that the return of Great White sharks are coming to Monterey Bay. Last summer, some were as big as 18 feet long, and this year they’re coming back a few months early. Over a dozen of them were spotted near the cement ship in Aptos this week, according to the report.

Experts believe that the sharks arrived earlier this year due to El Niño conditions, which have brought warmer waters to the bay and north coast.

The Great White numbers may prove to be like last summer. About 15 great white sharks arrived near Seacliff State Beach in Aptos on June 23, 2015. It was that very day that around 300 kids were scheduled to participate in the NorCal Junior Lifeguard competition. A shark fin was found near shore, which was enough to play it safe and make the kids to get out of the water. A shark warning sign was placed at the kiosk near the park’s campground by a ranger following that.

Specialized Helicopters say that large sharks will likely be visible in the Monterey Bay waters frequently between now and November. They also note if chopper pilots notice sharks acting aggressively in the area of surfers or swimmers, they’ll notify the lifeguards on duty in that specific location. This may also result in shark warning signs being posted on the beaches.

Divers haven’t reported any Great White sharks underwater in Monterey’s popular diving areas. It’s advised that people take a common sense approach in the areas, such as avoiding spearfishing.

Experts add that a shark attack in the Monterey Bay area is very slim.

It’s still early in the season and shark sightings are well underway. It’s unclear if the woman in Southern California was actually bit by a shark or a sea lion, but authorities haven’t released anymore details.

[Image via Shutterstock]

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