Shark Attack

Since the April shark attack that left one person dead in Solana Beach, lifeguards say shark sightings have gone from "1 to 2 in the last 15 years" to "50 to 70". The latest shark sighting was off 11th Street in Del Mar. A group of teens spotted what appeared to be a dark shadow and a distressed seal. The incident was reported to lifeguards.

NBC 7/39 has the story and video of the teens describing what they saw.

On Sunday the family members of shark-attack victim David Martin gathered at Fletcher Cove to honor his memory and speak with reporters. Jeff Martin spoke about his father and his love for the water.

The long-shot odds of a shark attack – and the place it happened – were an extra burden for the family, said Jeff Martin, a pilot for Alaska Airlines.

"I had been going down those steps since I was 3 years old," he said.

But the tragedy won't keep Martin, 41, like his father an avid beachgoer, out of the ocean.

"I went surfing yesterday, and I'll be taking my boys out tomorrow," Martin said.

That's the way his father would have wanted it, he said.

The 17-mile stretch of beach that was closed on Friday will "reopen" today. Over the weekend helicopters scoured the waters looking for the shark that may have attacked David. Although the odd warnings were able to persuade most to stay out of the water, there were still a few that braved the unlikely and paddled out.

On Friday, North Coast lifeguards posted hundreds of signs warning people to stay clear of the sea. The placards reported what happened and included a drawing of a great white.

Many of the signs were gone by yesterday morning, apparently stolen.

Allen and others called the thefts perverse, worried that some might try to exploit the tragedy.

"Watch," Allen said. "Someone is going to put those signs up on eBay."

San Diego beaches from Torrey Pines to south Carlsbad are closed to swimmers and surfers for 72 hours after a shark killed a swimmer in Solana Beach. The closure is expected to be lifted Monday.

Rosenblatt said white shark attacks are very rare. He said there isn't a resident population of white sharks in the area, but female sharks come to the area from the north to give birth. They also swim great distances and have been known to be tagged in Monterey and then turn up in Hawaii.

"The chances of finding this particular shark are very slim," Rosenblatt said.

UPDATE on 04/25/2008 12:48 pm:

The shark is estimated to be 12 to 17 feet long

UPDATE on 04/25/2008 1:26 pm:

The victim has been identified as 66-year old Dave Martin. He is a retired veterenarian from Solana Beach. Martin had been a resident of Solana Beach since 1970.

UPDATE on 04/26/2008 9:46 am:

Details of the victim have emerged as surfers warily get back to business

Donna Johnson Shaw made a peace sign Friday as she joined others at a Solana Beach memorial service after a shark attack that took the life of 66-year-old triathlete David Martin. The county's first fatal shark attack in a half-century focuses worldwide attention on a stretch of coastline with no history of shark activity.

A shark attack this morning at Fletcher Cove in Solana Beach has Coast Guard helicopters searching up and down the coast for the culprit. Police found the victim at 7:30 am and he died about an hour later. More details as the story develops...

Previous SurfSD Poll:

Would you surf after a shark attack at your local spot?

UPDATE on 04/25/2008 09:42 am:
The man killed in the attack was a 55 to 60 year old training for a triathalon. He was brought to Fletcher Cove and pronounced dead at the scene. Witnesses say he received massive injuries to both legs below the knees. A 17-mile stretch of beach is closed Friday as a search for the shark is performed.
 

UPDATE on 04/25/2008 10:16 am:

NBC Has Live coverage
 

UPDATE on 04/25/2008 10:29 am: 

The 66-year old swimmer apparently called out to his fellow swimmers, "Shark!" and was seen being lifted out of the water then submerged. After he came to the surface the other swimmers were able to bring him to shore. Sea World officials are examining the bite marks to determine the species of shark involved.
 

UPDATE on 04/25/2008 10:49 am: 

Beaches from Carlsbad, Oceanside, Encinitas, Del Mar and all the way out to Imperial Beach have been closed for up to 72 hours.
 

UPDATE on 04/25/2008 11:46 am: 

There are conflicting reports what, if any, beaches are closed and for how long but lifeguards did say the "bite radius" was 22 inches on the man's legs from the upper thighs to the lower shin. This information comes while sea animals are trying to escape the water

Chapman said that seals and sea lions have been beaching themselves in the area – he said a crew from Sea World was on its way to rescue one as he spoke. Such beachings are a possible sign of a large predator in the coastal waters.

"Those are signs that say this isn't the place to go," Chapman said. "We have one person fatally wounded and we have sea life exiting the water. It's better to say out of the water and give it time." 

 

From Monterey, California comes a story of Todd Endris, a surfer attacked by a great white shark three times on August 28th. His leg was shredded to the bone and the skin on his back was torn away. As the shark finished the third attempt to devour Todd, a pod of dolphins intervened and formed a protective circle around the surfer. The dolphins gave Todd enough time to get to shore and get medical attention.

Nearly four months of physical therapy and finally Todd is back enjoying the sport he loves.

MSN has the entire story Dolphins save surfer from becoming shark’s bait:

No one knows why dolphins protect humans, but stories of the marine mammals rescuing humans go back to ancient Greece, according to the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society.

A year ago in New Zealand, the group reports, four lifeguards were saved from sharks in the same way Endris was — by dolphins forming a protective ring.