A man fishing from a kayak off Paradise Cove in Malibu was bitten twice by a shark Sunday morning and had to be pulled from the water by a nearby boater before being taken to the hospital.
Witnesses told KTLA the fisherman had reeled in what was believed to be a mako shark and was trying to release it when the animal bit him, knocking him into the water. The shark bit him a second time before swimming off.
The Los Angeles County Fire Department first described the incident as a shark attack, then later called it a “fishing accident,” according to ABC 7.
A manager at the nearby Paradise Cove Beach Cafe said he saw the wounds firsthand.
“He was bitten in two places,” the manager told KTLA. “I saw there were some teeth marks on his lower leg and above the knee.”
Video from the scene shows a lifeguard running toward the injured man as a small fishing boat idled nearby. Another fisherman reportedly pulled the victim from the water onto his boat and brought him back to shore.
The victim called his girlfriend, a retired lifeguard, who helped him off the boat, assisted him on the beach and called 911. Los Angeles County Fire Department crews responded and transported him to a local hospital.
The cafe manager said he had never seen anything like it at Paradise Cove.
“We’ve had a lot of crazy stuff happen here, but we’ve never had a shark attack like that.”
The beach stayed open after the incident, ABC 7 reported.
October tends to bring more shark activity to Southern California waters as warmer temperatures draw in prey and juvenile sharks. Female sharks often use shallow, warm water as nursery grounds, giving young sharks a safer place to feed and grow.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Los Angeles County Fire Department for additional information.
