Paddleboarder shares experience of being attacked by a shark
Aug 12, 2022, 12:30 PM
FILE: paddleboarders
PACIFIC GROVE, California (KSBW) — While paddle boarding off the coast of Lovers Point on Thursday, David Stickler and his dog came face to face with a shark. This marks the second incident of the summer at Lovers Point.
At about 11:30 a.m., a shark surprised Stickler and his German shepherd, Brutus, when the shark popped out of the water and bit the pair’s paddleboard.
“My thought was little whale, small whale,” Stickler said. “But as it went down and under, I watched the shadow go under. But then it had a really sharp movement underneath me. It had a really sharp movement which made me go big dolphin.”
Witnesses say Stickler waved down a boater who helped him retrieve his paddle. He then paddled back to shore with his dog uninjured.
Kensington Edwards, 10, was about to get in the water when she heard a lot of commotion near the beach.
“He said it was very scary. It shook him up a lot, it bit the board, it shook the board and it bit it multiple times,“ Edwards said.
Edwards says witnesses rushed to check on Stickler and comfort his dog.
“The dog was whining a lot. He had a canine dog, it was pretty big, and everyone was petting the dog,” Edwards said.
Pacific Grove police collected the board. They’ll pass it off to U.S. Fish and Wildlife who will analyze the bite to determine the species and size.
“They live here, this is their home. They’re a protected species, I’ve been told. So, therefore, the populations are increasing and we’re likely to have more events like this you just have to be aware,” Edwards said.
In June, Steve Breummer was bit by a great white shark at the same location while swimming. He sustained severe injuries but survived.
The Monterey Bay Aquarium says the increase in shark sightings and incidents are no coincidence. Rising ocean temperatures have invited a new population of juvenile white sharks near the central and northern California shores. Juvenile sharks are more likely to accidentally bite a human.
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