Earth Changes

26-year-old surfer killed in California shark attack

Deanna Hackney
CNN
Sun, 10 May 2020 10:01 UTC

A 26-year-old man was killed in a shark attack while surfing Saturday at a beach in Northern California, officials said.

The man was attacked around 1:30 p.m. at Manresa State Beach, the California Department of Parks and Recreation said in a statement. The incident took place on Sand Dollar Beach within 100 yards of the shore, the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Department said in a Facebook post.

The victim was pronounced dead on scene and the next of kin was notified. The species of shark was not known, according to the parks department.

Following the state parks protocol, the water 1 mile south and north of the incident location will be closed for five days and will not be reopened until Thursday, the parks department said.

Signs warning beachgoers about the shark attack are posted on access points and beach entrances within a 1-mile radius of the incident.

With the exception of water sports, Manresa State Beach is closed from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, meaning there is no public access during this time. During the other times, the beach is open to local residents who can walk or bike into the beach, provided they maintain the recommended physical distancing of six feet or more and follow new visitor guidelines.

Comment: Sputnik reports:

Dr. Dave Ebert of the Pacific Shark Research Center has expressed that shark attacks during this time of year are unusual.

"Usually most [shark attacks] occur between about July and November," Ebert told NBC. "May is definitely not a month you see many shark attacks."

"In addition, with sharks being most active in the morning and evening, it's unusual that the animal attacked Kelly in the afternoon," he noted.

Officials are still unsure what kind of shark attacked Kelly, although some experts believe that it was a great white shark.

Reader Comments

shellycheval · 2020-05-10T10:31:53Z

Sad example of how Death goes on daily without Covid 19.

Christian83 · 2020-05-10T10:44:07Z

Shellycheval - Very true. But of course he tested positive a couple days earlier but was “asymptomatic” so obviously he will be thrown onto the convid numbers! (Sarcasm- but wouldn’t be surprised if it turned out to be true! 😞)

Christian83 · 2020-05-10T10:45:48Z

Hey Rowan, do you know this beach? Ever surfed here?

Rowan Cocoan · 2020-05-10T14:16:48Z

Christian83 Yep. (Close enough. See infra.)

sbc · 2020-05-10T12:49:21Z

Another covid19 death for the statistics!!

Rowan Cocoan · 2020-05-10T15:35:32Z

In 1986, we went surfing at Sunset State Beach, about two miles south of Manresa State Beach, site of the above attack.

The waves were great, but there were no other people out. Such a situation always gives one ‘thoughts’ about risks and ‘is it worth it?’ It was so ‘creepy’ / such a ’hair standing on ends’ kind of feeling, that one of the three of us refused to go out. (Rare.) (So, at least we have some good pictures of that session.)

No one loves a crowded surf break, but when you’re the only potential snack, all certainly find themselves hoping for others to join the lineup to lower one’s odds of being that snack.It's logical, and simple human nature.

Note: it’s exactly these kind of daily risks cost/benefit analysis choices which are involved in all we do that this stupid 'one size fits all' lockdown (and drug war) deprive us of: the right to decide is the right to live; they’re inseparable.

Not long before that, a N. California kneeboarder had been ripped up by a world record great white (they judged by the size of the bite in the board which had ripped out most of the board, from the side, in a cartoonish u-shaped bite. Sadly, as best I can tell, that image - which is likewise reported on by surf journalist Matt George here - [Link] - seems to have not found its way onto the internet. It WAS amazing!) Another quote from that George article:

I stood there looking out over where a giant dinosaur attempted to eat Lew Boren. It would be five days before they found Lew’s remains. The bite radius stretched in a great crescent from his shoulders to his hips.

And Lew was a big fella.

So, at that time, the above, and another fatal Great White attack - still closer in time and location - in 1984, had a major crowd reducing effect.

But, hey! Here’s a dawg, Donald Harris, who was at least allowed to decide for himself and who went out with a bang rather than a whimper. [Link] (I’ve lost several friends that way, and know that there are many, many ‘close calls’ that I’ve survived where if the same events happened now, I’d be dead.) I’m confident that - like > 90% of surfers of my generation he would have chosen to have been able to go surfing than having the government tell him what risks - what life choices - he could or should make.

R.C.