(BrightPress.org) – On the morning of Sunday, June 2nd, a swimmer was bitten multiple times by a shark while swimming in the Del Mar Beach area. The victim, a 46-year-old man, is a member of an experienced team that regularly swims in this area.
At around 8:45 a.m. members of the swim team heard the victim cry out. They realized he was being attacked by a shark about 100 yards offshore. Three members, Kevin Barrett, Cameron Whiting, and Janna Veal, made the swift decision to swim out and help their friend even though they knew the predator was in the water. The trio managed to bring the victim to shore where they were met by lifeguards who then helped the victim by attempting to stop the bleeding. The victim was then rushed to Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla.
The victim suffered large lacerations to his midsection, arm, and hand that required surgery. Local officials said the victim’s injuries were “not believed to be life-threatening” and said the man was in stable condition after receiving treatment.
A two-mile area of the beach was closed for 48 hours following the attack. Researchers from California State University Long Beach’s Shark Lab took steps to try and identify the size and type of shark involved in the attack. According to Shark Lab Director Chris Lowe, the shark was most likely a juvenile white shark. Lowe said that juvenile sharks are known to cluster in this area, but rarely bite. Lowe said that in general, sharks try to avoid people, but occasionally may mistake a human for another animal.
According to a drone study published last year, younger white sharks frequently swim near people in the water totally unnoticed.
This was the first shark attack in this area since November of 2022 when a 50-year-old woman was attacked while swimming 200 yards offshore. She survived the attack. The Shark Lab used a drone for over three hours following the attack but was not able to locate any sharks citing visibility issues.
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