A shark bit a swimmer on a leg and a foot as he swam from Catalina Island to the mainland in the early hours of Tuesday, Sept. 30.
About 12 miles out from Catalina, the man was bit by a three- to four-foot white shark, who “nipped” at him and swam away, Shaun Corby, a Los Angeles Fire Department fire boat pilot said.
The swim is popular among long-distance swimmers, Corby said. A dive boat, the Bottom Scratcher, that was pacing the swim, left Catalina just after 1 a.m. and transferred the injured swimmer, a man approximately 50 to 55 years old, to a Los Angeles Fire Department boat.
The swimmer’s injuries were not life-threatening. His leg was wrapped and he was taken to a hospital.
“Its a super-rare incident,” Corby said. “Shark bites and stuff are pretty minimal out here.”
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s statistics show that there are typically less than three shark incidents in California each year.
The swim from Catalina Island to the mainland is known as the Catalina Channel swim and is roughly 20 miles, typically started by swimmers at midnight to avoid afternoon winds, according to the Catalina Channel Swimming Federation.
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