A great white shark killed someone this morning at my local beach, two blocks from where we used to live. Shark attacks are unusual, nearly unprecedented for San Diego. And the swimmer was doing everything right: he was a triathlete, swimming in a group, fairly close to shore. The shark thrust him up out of the water, lacerating his leg 22 inches from thigh to shin. His fellow triathletes swam him into shore, where the lifeguards drove him to a medical helicopter – and he still died.
There’s more info here.
Ben was biking by when it happened, and my neighbor was jogging by: this is just our normal morning space. We go in that water all the time.
The beaches are closed today, but people are still in the water. Seals are beaching themselves, though: a sign that there’s a large predator out there. A baby great-white washed up last week. The murderous shark may be a grieving mom.
The waves are small today, so Ben isn’t in the water, thankfully. I don’t think he would stay out if the waves were good, despite the seals fleeing the water right now.
