A 46-year-old man was hospitalized after being bitten on the torso, arm and hand on a Southern California beach around 9 a.m. Sunday, according to local media.
The man was among a dozen swimmers about 100 meters from the beach in murky waters heading toward shore when the attack occurred. His fellow swimmers helped the man reach shore where rescuers quickly applied a tornaquet.
“There was a lot of bleeding, so they determined it was probably an arterial injury to the left hand and wrist,” City of Del Mar Chief Lifeguard John Edelbrock told the San Diego Union Tribune. “He definitely had significant injuries to his torso.”
The man’s injuries are believed to be significant but not life-threatening, according to local authorities. He was transported to Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla.
Beaches were closed a mile north and south of 17th Street, the site of the incident. They will remain closed until 9 a.m. Tuesday.
The attack is the second in the past 16 months in Del Mar, which, along with much of northern San Diego County, is home to a significant population of juvenile great white sharks.