The city of Del Mar, California announced Sunday that it was closing all its beaches for swimming and surfing after a shark bit a competitive swimmer near shore.
Authorities said the unidentified man, 46, was participating in a group training swim at 9 a.m. when he was bitten by the animal on the torso, left arm and left hand.
He suffered “injuries that are significant but not believed to be life-threatening,” the city said in a press release.
“There was a lot of bleeding, so they determined it was likely an arterial wound in the left hand and wrist area,” Del Mar’s Chief Lifeguard and Community Services Director Jonathan Edelbrock told The San Diego Union-Tribune. “He had significant injuries to his torso for sure.”
Edelbrock added that authorities believe the animal was a juvenile white shark that was close to eight feet long.
It was the city’s first shark encounter in 2024—the last attack happened on Nov. 4, according to the Union-Tribune, which reported that a 50-year-old woman was bitten in the leg while swimming with a friend, suffering minor injuries.
The Del Mar beach closure is expected to remain in effect for at least 48 hours—until 9 a.m. on Tuesday, June 4.
