Evan Garcia told FOX 11, “When that think hit me from below, I knew right away that was a shark.” Reporter Hailey Winslow talks to the surfer who calls himself lucky after a shark attacked his surfboard, but Garcia swam away unharmed.
SAN CLEMENTE, Calif. – One Southern California beach closed over part of the busy Memorial Day weekend after a shark displaying “aggressive behavior” attacked a surfboard, knocking the surfer off, according to officials.
The surfer told FOX 11 that he’s lucky to be alive after a close encounter with a shark.
The bite mark on his surfboard was nearly a foot in diameter. His encounter with the shark happened Sunday at sunset on an Orange County beach. Evan Garcia was knocked off his 7-foot surfboard by what he described as a 4- to 6-foot juvenile shark. Once in the water, he opened his eyes and saw the shark.
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“When that thing hit me from below, I knew right away that it was a shark. There’s people out there who have been injured by sharks. And I’m so lucky that it only got my board,” Garcia told FOX 11.
“My mom bought me that board three years ago, and I’ve surfed with that board in Mexico. I’ve surfed with that board all up and down the coast. But he made that board strong and that board saved my life.”
After Garcia’s encounter in the water, he approached a lifeguard and showed him the surfboard. The lifeguard lieutenant then sent a picture of the board to a shark expert, who immediately confirmed it was a shark. They then watched the video on Surfline.com and got everybody out of the water and cleared the beach.
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Lifeguards cleared everyone out of the water over the busy holiday weekend.
(FOX 11)
City officials issued a warning Monday notifying the public that ocean water access at all San Clemente beaches is restricted due to a shark sighting near T Street Beach.
“Beaches will remain open, but water access will remain closed until 8 p.m. tonight, pending no additional shark sightings,” the city said before reopening later in the night.
This comes as Los Angeles County issued a warning advising against swimming, surfing and playing in ocean waters at five area beaches due to excessive bacteria levels.