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.”
Had the attack resulted in serious injuries, VanGerpen said, the man would have been taken to a trauma center. Instead, he was sent to a nontrauma facility.
It was not immediately clear what species of shark was involved.
The man, who was believed to be participating in a long-distance solo swimming competition, left Catalina around midnight and was bound for San Pedro, according to authorities.
An emergency call was made at 1:37 a.m. and fire personnel were informed a man had been pulled out of the water after being attacked, according to Fire Department authorities.
A trailing boat and crew were monitoring the man during his swim. He was attacked about 12 miles off Catalina, according to authorities.
The LAFD dispatched four boats toward the swimmer’s vessel at a speed of about 40 knots. The first fire boat reached him in about 40 minutes, roughly eight miles from San Pedro.
The victim was tended to by two paramedics before arriving on the mainland.
The man told authorities he and his crew left at midnight to avoid complications with shipping lanes. During the day, Catalina is filled with ferries, pleasure craft, cruise ships and cargo vessels.
VanGerpen said he had never heard of a shark attack off Catalina in his 25 years with the LAFD.
“It’s pretty rare and I guess we’re all lucky that the shark just nipped at him, didn’t like it and swam away,” he said.
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