#surfing-safety

#surfing-safety

Sydneysiders are ingrained with surfing and beach activities as part of their life and it does feel like a piece of you gets stripped away when something like this happens, says lifelong Sydney surfer Matt Chojnacki. After three attacks in quick succession, the big wave surfer and coach decided to leave the city to find what he hoped would be less risky waves to the north.

A surfer was hospitalized with minor injuries Friday morning after he was bitten on the hand by a shark at North Salmon Creek Beach in Bodega Bay. According to Karen Hancock, a Sonoma County Fire District spokesperson, responding emergency personnel arrived on scene to find that the surfer had made it to shore on his own and had managed to bandage his own hand. The surfer initially declined medical treatment, Hancock added.

Corale Olsen described the moment of the attack, saying, 'It was right next to me, and I was like Oh my gosh, something really bad is going to happen.' Then it just bit me, said Corale. It was pain, and then I was screaming.'