Rescuers of a shark victim in Southern California recall horrific ordeal

Three swimmers who helped rescue a 46-year-old man who was attacked by a shark on a Southern California beach on Sunday are speaking out about the shocking incident.

The victim, identified only as Caleb, suffered injuries in the attack on June 2, 100 meters offshore on June 17.^th Del Mar Street Garden Safety Center.

“It was a bloodcurdling scream. You knew something was wrong,” Kevin Barret, one of the victim’s rescuers, said of the attack.

Barret, Cameron Whiting and Jenna Veal spoke with KTLA’s Rachel Menitoff about the moment their friend and fellow North County Ocean swimmer was attacked outside a Del Mar hospital, where the 46-year-old is on a long road to recovery.

“He definitely just heard it and then he was somehow able to put his hands up as if the unimaginable was happening before our eyes,” Veal recalled.

The trio explained that the shark approached Caleb and sank its teeth into his chest as he swam. Then, they say, the 46-year-old began to slash at the shark and fight back, resulting in injuries to his arms and hands.

“The fear was twofold,” Whiting explained. “One, you’re swimming into an area where there’s just been a shark attack, but what was probably even worse was not knowing what to expect. We didn’t know what condition he would be in when we got to him.”

The three swimmers got Caleb onto a surfboard. Whiting jumped on him and paddled to shore.

An emergency doctor who happened to be on the beach offered advice on how to treat Caleb’s injuries while they placed a tourniquet around his arm to stop the bleeding.

“The most important thing was to stop the bleeding and make sure he was clear-headed and knew where he was,” Whiting said.

Since the attack, which resulted in the waters off the beach being closed, technicians at the Shark Lab at California State University, Long Beach, have been working to determine what type of shark was involved in the attack.

They have already taken a DNA swab from the victim’s wetsuit, but tell KTLA they cannot determine if it is the same shark involved in the attack in San Clemente on May 27. In that case, a surfer said he was knocked off his board by an aggressive shark.

“Having more information about the shark’s identity and its behavior after the incident will help us make better decisions regarding beach closures,” said Zach Merson, a technician at the CSULB Shark Lab.

Barret, Whiting and Veal tell KTLA that they swim in groups so they can keep an eye out for each other’s safety.

“It’s nature,” Barret said. “We’re part of it. We’re going to do what we can to stay safe in it.”

Experts say shark attacks are extremely rare along the Southern California coast. One theory is that the shark may have been confused by the swimmer, mistaking him for something else in the murky water.