A 3-to-4-foot-long shark bit a man attempting to swim the 20-plus miles from Santa Catalina Island to San Pedro early Tuesday in a "rare attack," according to authorities. The finned culprit "nipped" at the unidentified 54-year-old swimmer, causing non-life-threatening injuries to the man's leg and foot, according to Los Angeles Fire Department Capt. Adam VanGerpen. "He was awake and talking and sitting up," VanGerpen said of the swimmer. "He suffered only mild distress."
The bite occurred around 4:15 p.m. in the water at the Central Mall beachfront of Jones Beach State Park when an unidentified woman was bitten on her left foot and leg by "unknown marine wildlife." Jones Beach State Lifeguards and Emergency Medical staff transported her to Nassau County University Medical Center Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
I was sitting on the board, actually, and I felt something under my foot, Heller said in a video interview on the scene. It kicked me off the board. I looked back and just saw this big-mouth just grabbing onto my board.