A morning of kayak fishing off Malibu took a terrifying turn Sunday when a shark reportedly bit a fisherman twice—once aboard his kayak, and again after knocking him into the ocean.
The incident unfolded off Paradise Cove, one of Malibu’s most recognizable stretches of coastline. According to Los Angeles County lifeguard Alex Buford, the man hooked the shark while fishing and managed to bring it onto his kayak.
Then everything went sideways.
@cbsla A kayaker was hospitalized after a shark they accidentally caught while fishing bit them on the leg on Sunday in Malibu, according to authorities. The Los Angeles County Fire Department’s Lifeguard Division told CBS LA that a fisherman was between 1 and 2 miles off the pier when they accidentally reeled in a Mako Shark. The individual tried to release the shark, but was bitten as he did so. A good Samaritan on a boat nearby contacted emergency services, which helped the fisherman to shore. He was transported to a local hospital with a shark bite on his leg. As of Sunday afternoon, his condition remains unknown.
“The shark bit him, he let the shark go and then the shark came back and knocked him off the boat and attacked him again and bit his leg again,” Buford told NBC Los Angeles
Los Angeles County Fire initially described the incident as a shark attack, but later characterized it as a fishing accident. Officials told ABC7 the kayaker was roughly a half-mile offshore and was attempting to release the shark when he was bitten and fell from the vessel. The second bite followed while he was in the water.
“A kayaker was hospitalized after a confirmed shark attack off the coast of Malibu,” the Los Angeles County Fire Department reported, noting that emergency crews acted swiftly to stabilize the victim and secure the surrounding area.
A nearby fishing boat rushed to help and pulled the injured kayaker aboard. He was transported to a hospital shortly before 9 a.m.; his condition and the severity of his injuries have not been publicly released.
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Officials believe the animal was a shortfin mako. NOAA says the species averages six to seven feet but can reach roughly 12 feet, and is most common off California among West Coast states. Adults are primarily offshore, while juveniles can occur in coastal waters.
“Mako sharks typically stay in deeper water,” Buford said, adding that officials did not believe the incident posed an increased danger to swimmers closer to shore. Paradise Cove remained open.
And there is video—but apparently not of the bite itself.
Footage circulating from the scene shows the rescue unfolding offshore, including a lifeguard moving through the water toward a nearby boat. However, at this time, SURFER could not find verified footage clearly showing the shark or the actual attack.
The California Post reported that there is video of the incident from a source called “Traffic News Los Angeles” (TNLA). But in the outlet’s reporting, no video is shown.
Perhaps due to the graphic nature of the footage.
Considering what happened after the fisherman went overboard, that may be for the best.
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