By Sommer Brokaw, UPI
A shark attacked and injured a 13-year-old boy Saturday while he was diving for lobster in California on the opening day of lobster season, officials said.
The attack occurred just before 7 a.m. near Beacon's Beach in Encinitas.
Chad Hammel told KSWB-TV in San Diego he had been diving with friends for about half an hour Saturday morning when he heard the boy screaming for help and then paddled over with a group to help pull him out of the water.
Hammel said at first he thought it was just excitement of catching a lobster, but then he "realized that he was yelling, 'I got bit! I got bit!' His whole clavicle was ripped open," Hammel said he noticed once he got to the boy.
"I yelled at everyone to get out of the water: 'There's a shark in the water!'" Hammel added.
The boy was airlifted to Rady Children's Hospital in San Diego where he is listed in critical condition.
The species of shark responsible for the attack was unknown.
Lifeguard Capt. Larry Giles said at a media briefing that a shark had been spotted in the area a few weeks earlier, but it was determined not to be a dangerous species of shark.
Giles added the victim sustained traumatic injuries to his upper torso area.
Officials shut down beach access from Ponto Beach in Casablad to Swami's in Ecinitas for 48 hours for investigation and safety purposes.
Giles noted that there are more than 135 shark species in the area, but most are not considered dangerous.
COMMENTS