INJURED – 29 April 2017 – Keurbooms, Plettenberg Bay, South Africa – surfer

A 14-year-old boy (name withheld in local media because of his age) sustained minor lacerations to his right calf after he was bitten by a shark while he was surfing with two others at The Waves surf spot on Keurbooms beach, Plettenberg Bay, South Africa. The incident took place around 5pm on Saturday 29 April 2017.

 

 

Shark researchers suspect that it was a 2-metre great white shark, going by the size of the bite marks.

He was treated by NSRI (National Sea Rescue Institute) medics and by paramedics on the scene for lacerations to his right calf before being transported to hospital by ambulance in a stable condition.

According to media reports, the teenager was surfing with two other surfers. At the take-off zone he turned to catch a wave when he saw a fin approaching him; he felt a bump and he felt a bite on his right calf.

He caught a wave to the beach where he was met by his father, who had witnessed the incident, and bystanders who aided and called paramedics.

There had been several sightings of sharks in the bay the day before, prompting the NSRI to issue a warning to surfers and swimmers.

“The increase in shark inshore presence at this time of the year is part of the normal aggregation of these animals. Sharks are aggregating in this area at this time, as they have done in previous years, to take advantage of naturally occurring prey like seals and fish close inshore,” the NSRI said in a statement.

 

Sources:

IOL

News24

Times Live

 

SCARED – 20 October 2013 — Pila‘a Beach near Kilauea, Kauai, Hawaii – surfer attacked

Jeff Horton shows the shark bite mark on his board after the attack at Pila’a, Kauai.

Jeff Horton, 25, was surfing with 10 others at Pila‘a Beach near Kilauea, Kauai, Hawaii on Sunday 20 October 2013 when he spotted a dark shape approaching him while he was sitting on his board. He says he thought it was a stingray. He lifted his legs out the water and the shark bit into his board.

“It came flying straight toward me,” he said

He was knocked off his board and fell onto the shark. He grabbed a fin and started punching the shark, which continued to bite onto his board.

“I finally got one nice punch into the eye,” Horton was quoted as saying. “I put some really good hits on it, for sure.”

When he hit it in the eye the shark let go the board and swam away. He was not injured, although his board was left with the typical semi-circular bite mark.

It was not reported what type of shark it was or what size it was.

Sources:
The Garden Island

PIC Source
The Garden Island

2 INJURED – 7 September 2013 – New Smyrna Beach, Volusia County, Florida, USA – swimmer and surfer bitten

New Smyrna Beach

Two people were nipped by a shark on the same day at New Smyrna Beach Volusia County, Florida, USA. The incident occurred on 7 September 2013.

A 25-year-old man was bitten on the shin around 4pm while swimming in waist deep water and a minute later a 43-year-old surfer was bitten on his foot.

The two victims had only minor injuries. They were treated by Ocean Rescue and then left on their own to seek medical treatment.

It is thought the same 3-foot shark bit both victims as the bites occurred less than 100 meters apart, according to the report.

Source:
Orlando Sentinel

PIC Source:
Wikipedia

BUMPED – 11 August 2013 – The Washout, Folly Beach, South Carolina, USA – surfer’s board bitten

Surfer talks to media after his board was bitten by a bull shark during a surf contest.

A 10-year-old surfer (not immediately named in press reports) had his board bitten by what is presumed to be a 6-8 foot bull shark while surfing in a contest at The Washout on Folly Beach in South Carolina. The incident happened around 5.30pm on Sunday 11 August 2013.

A witness on the beach said the shark got tangled in his leash. The shark then latched onto his board. The boy managed to undo his leash and swim away from the board. He was not injured.

Two other surfers swam out an helped the boy to shore.

The contest — the S.C. Governor’s Cup of Surfing – was stopped and postponed to September.

Sources:

Transworld Surf
The State
WISTV

PIC Source:
10-year-old surfer talks to media.
Screen grab from video on WISTV

INJURED – 5 December 2012 – Pakala, Kauai, Hawaii – surfer bitten

Pakala – painting by Angela Headley

A 60-year-old man named only as Lorrin suffered minor injuries after being bitten on the left foot by a shark while surfing at Pakala’s on the west coast of Kauai, Hawaii. He estimated the shark to be around 10 feet.

The victim was taken to the Kauai Veterans Memorial Hospital.

No other details were reported.

Sources:
Hawaii News Now

PIC Source:
Angela Headley

 

INJURED – 19 November 2012 – Melbourne Beach, Brevard County, Florida, USA – surfer bitten

Kai Rittgers recovers in hospital following a shark bite on his left foot.

Kai Rittgers, 14, suffered minor lacerations to his left foot after being bitten by a small shark while surfing off Melbourne Beach in Brevard County, Florida, USA. The incident happened 19 November 2012.

“It was like this sharp little pain, then I kind of sat up really quick and saw it was a shark,” Kai was quoted as saying.

He managed to paddle to shore. His dad took him to a doctor who bandaged the wounds. No stitches were needed.

No other details were reported.

Source:
Florida Newsday

PIC Source:
Florida Newsday

 

INJURED – 30 October 2012 – North Jetty, Humboldt , Eureka, California, USA – surfer bitten

Scott Stevens’ board showing the chunk bitten out of it by a shark. Stevens suffered lacerations to his left torso.

Scott Stevens, 25, suffered serious wounds to his left torso from a shark bite while he was surfing at North Jetty, Humboldt, Eureka, California, United States. The shark is thought to be a great white.

The incident occured on Tuesday 30 October 2012.

He said he was catching waves about 150 metres from fellow surfers at Bunkers, a popular surf spot near Humboldt Bay.

The shark dragged him under the water and shook him around a bit. Stevens then punched the shark several times in the head, which made it release its grip and swim away. He managed to retrieve his board and paddle back to shore, where other surfers helped stem the bleeding and wave down a truck which took him to hospital, where he underwent emergency surgery to stitch the wounds.

Stevens told the Lost Coast Outpost in a podcast interview:

“I went in the water for a surf about 10am. I had just caught a wave and was paddling back out when the shark came out of nowhere. It grabbed my torso from behind and dragged me underwater and shook me a couple of times.

“I opened my eyes underwater and saw the shark grabbing onto me. I punched it a couple of times in the head and it released me and swam off.

“I recovered my board (the shark had severed the leash)  and managed to paddle to shore on my own.”

Scott Stevens shows where he was bitten by a shark.

He was shouting for help.

“The support of other surfers was amazing. They waved down a truck which took me to hospital. And they put pressure on the wound the whole time to stop bleeding.” One of the surfers actually lay across his torso to put pressure on the wound and stem the bleeding.

He told the Times Standard that when he opened his eyes under water he saw a lot of blood.

“When I reached the beach, I realised how injured I was and how much blood I was losing.”

“I was in shock. I really didn’t feel much, didn’t feel too much pain, until I woke up this morning,” he said.

He said from the time of attack to ER it took about 20 minutes – “An amazing response which helped a lot.”

”Those guys are heroes,” he said.

He said he received lacerations from the top of hip to his upper chest. The surgeon who stitched up the wounds said there were seven to eight deep lacerations, but fortunately the shark did not open the chest cavity and damage any internal organs.

“At the moment it happened I was truly scared for my life. I didn’t know if I was going to make it or not.

“Now I am a little bummed that my surfboard is damaged,” he said from his hospital bed at St. Joseph Hospital in Eureka, California.

Sources:
Lost Coast Outpost – podcast interview
Times Standard
Digital Journal

PIC Source:
Times Standard
Businesswire

FATAL – 23 October 2012 — Surf Beach, Lompoc, California, USA – surfer attacked

Francisco Javier Solario’s board – with the shark bite mark.

Vandenberg Air Force Base security forces block the entrance to Surf Beach at Vandenberg Air Force Base following a fatal shark attack on a surfer at the beach on 23 October 2012.

Francisco Javier Solorio Jr., 39, was killed by a shark while surfing at Surf Beach, Lompoc, Santa Barbara County, California, about 240km north of Los Angeles.

He was bitten on his upper torso.

According to press reports a fellow surfer pulled him to shore and tried to resuscitate him, but when paramedics arrived on the scene they pronounced him dead.

The beach is located near Vandenberg Air Force Base, the site of a fatal shark attack in 2010.

The type of shark involved and other details were not immediately available.
UPDATE:

The shark is believed to be a 15-16 foot great white.

Sources:

CBC News
BBC News
ABC News
Huff Post

PIC source:

CBC News
SFGate

INJURED — 16 September 2012 — Cocoa Beach, Florida, USA — surfer bitten

A 52-year-old surfer (not identified) was bitten by a shark on the feet while surfing off Cocoa Beach,Florida, USA.

A very brief report says the incident happened about 4 pm on Sunday 16 September 2012. It added he suffered lacerations on both feet but managed to get to shore.

No other details were reported.

Sources:

Orlando Sentinel

INJURED — 6 September 2012 – E Street, St. Augustine Beach, Florida, USA — surfer bitten

Paramedics treat Andrew Birchall foot after he was bitten by a shark while surfing at St Augustine Beach, Florida, US.

Andrew Birchall (age not reported) was bitten on the foot by a shark while surfing at E Street in St. Augustine Beach, Florida, USA. The incident happened around 11.30am on Thursday 6 September 2012.

Birchall told the press he had just “caught a good wave” and jumped in the water when the shark bit his foot. He was in shallow water and managed to rip his foot from the shark’s mouth. Surfers nearby helped him to shore.

“There was blood everywhere,” he said.

Paramedics took him to Flagler Hospital, where he underwent several hours of surgery to repair some torn tendons.

Surgeons found a shark tooth in the wound.

Birchall said he did not see the shark. It was not known what species it was.

Sources:
The St Augustine Record

PIC Source:
The St Augustine Record