Shark attacks swimmers in Del Mar, beaches closed – NBC 7 San Diego

A 46-year-old man was hospitalized around 9 a.m. Sunday after being bitten by a shark in Del Mar, prompting Del Mar lifeguards to close beaches in the area to swimming and surfing.

According to the city of Del Mar, the incident occurred about 100 yards offshore from the Beach Safety Center on 17th Street.

The victim was bitten on the torso, left arm and hand. These are serious injuries, but not life-threatening, according to city officials. An ambulance took him to Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla.

He swam in a group of about a dozen ocean swimmers who meet regularly in Del Mar to train.

Lifeguards have posted signs and closed Del Mar beaches to surfing and swimming within a one-mile radius in both directions from the incident site – roughly from 6th Street to North Beach – and have notified neighboring jurisdictions, following shark attack protocols developed by the California Marine Safety Chiefs Association and the Shark Lab at California State University Long Beach.

The beach closure will remain in effect until Tuesday, 9:00 a.m.

NBC 7 spoke to some of the many people who gathered on the beach on Sunday.

NBC 7 San Diego

“Honestly, I was shocked. This is the beach I go to, I am a local and this is the restaurant I go to for brunch every Sunday,” said beachgoer Marina Vassiliades.

The City of Del Mar’s Chief Lifeguard had expert assistance on site to guide him on the next steps.

“We actually have the Long Beach shark lab here now. It’s a resource for us here in the state, especially in Southern California, to get the latest and best information on how to respond to incidents like this,” Del Mar City Lifeguard John Edelbrock told NBC 7.

“This is the second time in about a year and a half that’s happened here in Del Mar, so it’s not a good day for ocean lovers,” Edelbrock said.

“If we’ve been paying attention, like everyone else, over the last four years between here and Torrey Pines and in the Black’s (Beach) area, we’ve seen quite a few juvenile great white sharks in the area,” Edelbrock said.

NBC 7 also spoke with Dovi Kacev, marine biologist and assistant professor at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego, about whether locals should be concerned.

“It’s certainly important for everyone to know that shark bites are very rare. We can talk about the statistics and compare them to other things, like vending machines falling on people,” Kacev said.

Kacev gives tips for encountering a shark:

“Be careful when you are in such an environment. If you see a big fish or a big shark that makes you feel uncomfortable, of course you should get out of the water and tell the lifeguards and other people,” Kacev said.

As local authorities prepare to reopen the beach in a few days, beachgoer Vassiliades is thinking about when and how she will enjoy the beach in the future.

“A little too close to home, but the water is her home,” said Vassiliades.

“I will continue to come to the beach,” she concludes.