A surfer was struck by what authorities believe was a great white shark off Northern California earlier this week — but walked away without injuries, officials said.
The incident happened Monday morning, Dec. 22, at Dillon Beach in Marin County, according to the San Francisco Chronicle, The Press Democrat and SURFER.
Marin County Fire Department division chief Graham Groneman told the Chronicle the surfer was hit about 200 to 400 yards offshore by “what everyone assumes is a great white shark.” The area is known for shark activity, he added.
“It’s where shark experts do research on Great White sharks,” Groneman said, noting sightings there are not unusual, The Press Democrat reported.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(749x0:751x2):format(webp)/Dillon-Beach-california-1-122525-854594e991174c7a888944ecbad42f0f.jpg)
Groneman said the encounter appeared to be a hit rather than a bite. While the surfer was not injured, the surfboard was damaged.
The Marin County Fire Department division also said officials with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife collected a DNA sample from blood on the surfboard to help confirm the shark’s species, the Chronicle reported.
In an Instagram post shared Monday, the West Marin Feed posted photos of shark-warning signs placed at Dillon Beach after the incident, including an image showing what appeared to be the damaged surfboard. “Glad everyone is ok,” the caption said in part.
Per The Press Democrat, Groneman suggested the increased activity could be linked to a growing presence of sea lions and seals — common prey for great whites.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife reports about 230 recorded shark incidents since 1950, including 16 fatalities.
The waters near Dillon Beach have increasingly been associated with great white activity, SURFER reported, citing information from the Shark Stewards advocacy group. The group refers to the region as part of the “Red Triangle,” an area bounded by Bodega Bay, Big Sur and the Farallon Islands — a stretch it says accounts for a significant share of recorded white shark attacks in the U.S.
The Dillon Beach incident came a day after a triathlete disappeared in Northern California following reports of a shark sighting.
Erica Fox, 55, went missing Sunday, Dec. 21, off Lovers Point in Pacific Grove, Monterey County, around noon. Fox had been swimming with a group of 15 people when two witnesses on shore reported seeing a shark in the same area.
A witness told police they saw water splashing when the woman disappeared about 100 yards offshore, CBS San Francisco reported. Another person reported seeing a “large splash,” according to SFGATE.
Pacific Grove Police Department Commander Brian Anderson said authorities alerted all swimmers to return to shore, adding, “There was one swimmer who hasn’t reported back yet,” CBS San Francisco reported. When the group gathered on shore, Fox was missing.
The search for Fox was suspended Monday, Dec. 22.
