This is Kevin McMurray with tracking sharks.
Com.
Today we are going to cover a great white shark attack that occurred off the California
coast in 2022.
The diver who wishes to remain anonymous was with a group of 14 divers, February 26th,
off San Miguel Island.
Most of the group, including diver one, were searching for scallops or lobsters, while
a few people were spearfishing.
Around 10:30 AM, diver 1 surfaced from a 50 to 70 foot rocky bottom dive and popped her
head above the water on the northeast side of the island.
The waves had about 3 to 5 foot swells and only 10 to 15 feet of visibility in the water.
Diver one was being bounced around pretty hard by the waves and could not see the dive
boat.
She quickly inflated her red diver signal sausage.
After getting our bearings, she spotted the dive boat.
Since she was wearing her camo Rob Allen Scorpio Evolution long fins, she felt it would be
an easy kick back to the boat.
After deflating her tube and taking a compass bearing, she started kicking back to the boat
correctly.
She switched to her snorkel and looked down at her compass to keep her bearing.
Occasionally peeking above the water to keep an eye on her target.
The boat, as she neared the boat, she saw people watching her.
She was the last diver in the water and she looked around to see if there are any fish
around, but the poor visibility in the deep water hid any but the closest ocean life.
Puzzled, she looked back toward the boat and saw movement in the water coming from the
direction of the boat on her left side.
She looked down to see a wall of Gray, about 5 to 10 feet away, and then a band of white.
It was a great white shark.
Quote as soon as I saw the white, I lifted my head to see how far the boat was as I lifted
my head, I saw the large dorsal fins going by which was much larger than my head.
End quote Diver, one said.
Adding the boat was too far.
She immediately took evasive action.
Quote I turned to face the shark, keeping my head in the water with the snorkel on.
She the shark swung around and came back at me slowly, coming back in the direction of
the boat with her grey head coming into view about 3 feet below the surface, angled at
my 10:00 or 11:00 o'clock.
End Quote.
The estimated 14 to 15 foot shark slowly inched toward diver, one who tried to wave her safety
tube at the shark while reaching for her abalone iron.
Quote I stared directly at her.
I not looking elsewhere trying to see what she would do end quote.
The shark was so close to everyone debated on whether to lunge forward and stab her in
the eye with her abalone iron, but felt too small.
Instead, she leaned back and tried to shoo the shark away with the tip of her fins, which
were now at the Sharks snout.
Quote then it happened so fast all I remember is this wide open mouth bright white rows
of triangular teeth and the mouth so wide that I could no longer See her.
Just A circle of teeth that now, I believe stayed open until it felt something in its
mouth.
end quote.
The shark had taken most of diver one spin in its mouth.
Quote, the rest was so fast I don't even remember seeing the mouth close, just the sensation
of the fins popping off and then seeing the head of the shark with fins in its mouth.
End Quote.
She saw the shark submerged with her fins in its mouth.
Looking above the water diver 1 yelled shark twice and within a few seconds was Pulled
to safety.
Thankfully, the friends on the dive boat spotted the shark approaching diver one and immediately
launched a motorized inflatable.
As the rescuers approached diver one, they saw the Sharks backside breach out of the
water as it bit into her fins and foot.
The group headed back to the main dive boat with a relieved diver 1 and friends.
diver 1 had penetrating injury on her right foot between the second and third digits along
with damage below the toenails.
Another member of the group was an EMT and had trained with the Coast Guard concerned
about tendon and bone damage.
A call to the Coast Guard was placed and a rescue chopper was dispatched.
Diver 1's friends helped her prepare for the air transport and she was taken to the hospital.
Thankfully she was downgraded to a Level 3 trauma with no damage to the bone and ended
up leaving with only six stitches and antibiotics and a ride in A Coast Guard helicopter.
Diver 1 credits her long fans with saving her life.
Quote The left fin must have helped to keep the mouth from closing completely, while two
of her top teeth penetrating my right foot pocket.
Since the right foot pocket was forward of the left foot.
The location of the puncture on the foot pocket makes it look like I was already jerking my
feet back and the impact of the tooth was enough to give a slight bounce downward for
my foot to escape without dragging the tooth on the foot.
That way I kept all 10 toes in quote.
Diver 1 is still processing the encounter and she believes that the shark was curious
as to what she was as the shark stared at her before going for the fins.
She holds no ill will toward the shark, stating the shark was actually rather pretty with
a big Grey nose and very fast after she went for the fins.
Diver one will get back in the water one day, but with a little bit more understanding of
what she may encounter in the Pacific Ocean.
quote I now I'm much more aware that great whites will go wherever they want.
so it's very important to always have a buddy to pull you out and improve the odds of surviving.
End quotes,
So what can we learn from this incident?
One, it's important to always have a buddy.
Diver one was not using the buddy system at the time, which is common in the area.
Two, she did the right thing with her safety sausage, so that way she could be found easier
by the boat.
3 some people were using electronic shark repellent systems which could be a good investment
for those that are going to be diving in areas where large White sharks live.
Four, it's always important to have a safety plan in place in a good first aid kit including
a turning.
So what would you do if you were in dive or one position?
Let us know in the comments.
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