Shark Attacks Boy Scout Kayaker Off Catalina Island

CATALINA ISLAND, CA — A kayaker was attacked by a shark near Parson's Landing at Catalina Island Wednesday and was airlifted to a trauma center.

According to the Los Angeles County Fire Department, the victim was in stable condition and is undergoing surgery.

The encounter was reported at 7:15 a.m., according to lifeguards with the Los Angeles County Fire Department. The victim was a participant at a Boy Scout Camp in Emerald Bay, ABC7 reported, citing Boy Scout officials.

"The patient and their father were kayaking near Parson's Landing when their boat was bumped by what is believed to be a shark of unknown size and type," lifeguards tweeted. "During the encounter, the patient reached their hand into the water and was bit by the animal."

According to lifeguards, the victim had stable vital signs as he was helicoptered to a hospital to undergo surgery.

The age and gender of the patient were not available.

Lifeguards cleared and closed the ocean one mile in each direction of the incident for at least 24 hours, per LACFD policy.

Lifeguards also requested the assistance of a shark expert from the Scripps Institute of Oceanography to identify the size and type of the shark, according to the tweet

Shark attacks are rare off Southern California waters, but there have been an increasing number of run-ins between kayakers and great white sharks in recent years near Catalina.

In 2019, a shark took a bite out of a man's kayak in an encounter that was captured on film. San Diego resident Danny McDaniel was kayaking with his diving buddy near Ship Rock, a few miles from the bay when he felt his kayak jolt suddenly and turning against his will. When he looked down, he realized a 14 to 17-foot shark had a hold of his kayak. The shark was twice as big as his kayak, and McDaniel could have been in serious trouble had the shark been looking for a meal. But it's more likely the shark just took a nibble out of curiosity.

Another shark bit a teen's paddleboard near Avalon in 2012. The 15-year-old girl was paddleboarding with friends about 200 yards from shore in a remote area about a mile from the Avalon area when the shark attacked. A few years before that, a woman was knocked out of her kayak by a great white shark and managed to escape the encounter without any injuries.

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City News Service contributed to this report.