Kayaker bitten by shark off Catalina Island
A kayaker who dipped a hand in the waters north of Catalina Island was bitten by a shark Wednesday morning, prompting the closure of a one-mile stretch of coast for 24 hours, authorities said.
The incident occurred after the shark bumped the kayak near Parsons Landing, said Pono Barnes, an ocean life specialist for the Los Angeles County Fire Department. No details were released on the gender and age of the injured person. The person’s father was also on the boat, Barnes said. The size and species type of the shark was unknown, he said.
The L.A. County Lifeguard paramedic boat crews responded at 7:15 a.m. The patient was transported by air to a local hospital, where the injured kayaker is stable and undergoing surgery, Barnes said.
No other people were injured.
Barnes added the Scripps Institute of Oceanography had been contacted for help identifying the size and type of shark.
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