Swimmer hospitalized after horrific shark attack in California

Tragedy struck in Del Mar, San Diego (California) after a 46-year-old man was hospitalized after a shark attack. The individual suffered various important wounds and had to be rushed to the Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla, San Diego, lifeguards told ABC 10News.

Chief Jon Edelbrock said the shark attack occurred around 9 a.m, "while the man was training with a dozen other swimmers about 100 yards offshore from the Beach Safety Center," reports 10News.

According to medical reports, the 43-year-old swimmer sustained significant injuries to his torso, left arm, and hand.

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Nevertheless, lifeguard officials reacted quickly enough and said he is expected to survive the shark attack.

Following the tragic shark encounter in Del Mar, the beach will remain closed till the 4th of June. This is done in accordance with the California Marine Safety Chiefs Association and the California State University Long Beach Shark Lab protocols.

Lifeguards have closed Del Mar beaches "from 6th Street to North Beach," for any swimmers or surfers hoping to get a quick swim. Signs have also been posted to notify beachgoers of the attack.

According to WPTV, the number of shark attacks worldwide increased in 2023, and so did the fatalities related to shark attacks. "Scientists are examining a slight increase in the number of unprovoked shark attacks worldwide."

According to a report released in 2023 by the University of Florida's International Shark Attack Files, the United States had a total of 36 unprovoked shark attacks. That is 52% of all registered attacks worldwide! Two of the 36 attacks were fatal that year, one in California and the other in Hawaii.

The infamous great white shark is on the rise on the East Coast, as researchers say "warmer water fueled by climate change is part of the reason more great whites are being spotted along the East Coast", according to WPTV.

"I like to tell people a surfer has a much higher probability of dying in a car wreck on the way to the beach than they have of being bitten by a shark when surfing all day", Gavin Naylor (director of the Florida Program for Shark Research) told WPTV.

The moment a swimmer, a surfer, or a driver steps into the ocean, they automatically become part of the food chain. It's a risk taken upon the individual. Nevertheless, with great technological improvements, companies are deploying buoys to track the shark population, further reducing the risk in the water.

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