A surfer survived a shark attack on Sunday when he managed to escape the creature after he was bitten on the hip and dragged underwater.
According to Fox News, 50-year-old Kevin Swanson was attacked by the 8-10-foot young great white shark while he was out surfing at the Montana de Oro State Park in California. Swanson was airlifted to the nearest hospital for treatment of his injuries.
Andrew Walsh, another surfer who was with Swanson narrated to International Business Times how he saw it happen. "I was about 10 feet from him, and it was absolutely quiet. The shark came straight up out of the depths and got him and took him under the water," he recounted.
While narrating, Walsh couldn't hide his amazement at the incident and even described it "really radical." He added, "That was the amazing part: this big giant side of the shark just curving up out of the water."
After he was dragged underwater, Swanson managed to resurface a few seconds later and shouted, "shark attack," as he began paddling to shore. The surfer also had the presence of mind to make a tourniquet out of his surfboard's leash cord for his injured leg.
He received first aid assistance from two doctors who happened to be at the beach when he pulled on shore. The two described his injuries as not life-threatening. However, Swanson was still transported to a San Luis Obispo's Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center for further tests and treatment, reported NY Daily News.
Walsh described Swanson's second lease on life as very fortunate. "We're really blessed that he was still able to get himself to shore," he noted.
He added, "I was a few feet behind him, and we grabbed him and got him out of the water, obviously, up on the sand, and very quickly these doctors were there, helping out and calling 911."
This is not the first incident of a shark attack reported in the area. According to Supervising State Park Ranger Robert Colligan, the last fatal attack in the state was in 2003. The shark attacked a woman swimming in Avila Beach, located around 10 miles south of the park.
In spite of the incident, Sand Spit Beach will still be open to the public. However, administrators of the said beach have already put up signs about the recent incident -- "mainly to let the public know that they enter the waters at their own risk," Colligan told the LA Times. He also said that the notices would be around until the administrators have determined that no other shark sighting has been reported in the area.
