Californian Surfer Badly Injured In Shark Attack

A surfer was attacked by a shark in the waters off the California coast for the second time in less than a weak, though unlike last week, the surfer did not die from his injuries.

Humboldt County Sheriff’s Lieutenant Steve Knight stated that they received a call at 12:11 pm that reported a man had been bitten by a shark off of the North Jetty hear Eureka, reports KTVU.

Witnesses reported that the man was able to make it to shore by himself, but he was bleeding badly from injuries to his abdomen. An emergency medical technician at the beach was able to immediately begin caring for the man.

The surfer, who has not been named, suffered from wounds on his ribs, as well as below his hips. He was rushed to the local hospital with what authorities described as life-threatening injuries.

The attack on Tuesday comes less than a week after another surfer, 39-year-old Francisco Javier Solorio Jr. of Orcutt, California was killed during a great white shark attack off of Surf Beach in Santa Barbara County. Solorio was bitten by the shark in the upper torso and died at the scene, despite a friend’s attempts to save him.

The Times-Standard notes that the man’s injuries included a bite wound measuring approximately 14 inches. Jennifer Savage, who is a charwoman of the Humboldt chapter of the Surfrider Foundation, stated that the North Coast surfing community is shaken by the attack.

Savage added that shark attacks are incredibly rare, and that it is usually swimmers or divers who suffer fatal injuries. Benjie Rose, a local surfer, also reported having a close call with a shark near the North Jetty last year, where Tuesday’s attack took place.

He stated of his shark encounter, “It hit me straight from below. It broke my board.” Fortunately, he was able to swim and belly surf his way back to the beach. Rose added that he heard that adult great white sharks are more likely to “bump” surfers, while younger ones will be more inclined to bite.

While Mako sharks, blue sharks, and salmon sharks can also be found off the California coast, the shark involved in Tuesday’s attack was likely a great white, because of the size of the bite in the victim’s surfboard.

There was no update on the injured surfer’s condition as of Tuesday evening.

http://youtu.be/F0ztGq_OB6o