There are, of course, innumerable creatures hidden within the deep, dark depths of the water, and sometimes those creatures tend to find their way upwards to where swimmers and surfers spend time in the waters. That’s exactly what happened recently in California, as a juvenile great white shark took hold of a surfer and dragged him underwater in a vicious attack.
The incident occurred around 11 a.m. local time at Montana de Oro State Park, located approximately 200 miles northwest of Los Angeles. Directly following the shark attack, the victim, 50-year-old Kevin Swanson of Morro Bay, used the leash cord from his own surfboard to fashion a tourniquet for the area where he was bit, which ultimately helped save his life. Fortunately, two doctors, who were present at the beach during the time of the attack, were also able to take an early look at the wounds left by the young great white – eventually determining that no arteries had been hit.
Following the attack, Swanson was airlifted to a local hospital. According to the hospital spokesman, he is currently in fair condition, recovering from the non-life-threatening injuries on his right hip and thigh.
Andrew Walsh was surfing with Swanson when the 8 – 10 feet shark suddenly swam up from underneath Swanson’s board and attacked him without warning.
“We’re really blessed that he was still able to get himself to shore,” Walsh told Fox News.
“I was a few feet behind him, and we grabbed him and got him … up on the sand, and very quickly these doctors were there, helping out and calling 911.”
Officials have now made the decision to leave the beach open to the public, but will be posting warning signs for the next few days to ensure everyone who visits understands the dangers buried deep within the water. California State Park Ranger Supervisor, Robert Colligan, speaking with Fox, has stated that they spot numerous great white sharks each year since they are native to the area. Attacks like this one, however, are quite rare. The last incidence occurred back in 2003, when a woman who was swimming with seals, was killed about 10 miles away from the most recent attack.
