A 15-year-old boy was bitten by a shark Wednesday while kayaking with his father at Santa Catalina Island.
The boy, who was participating in a Boy Scouts of America youth camping trip, was airlifted to a local hospital in stable condition, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
His father was not injured.
The incident occurred just after 7 a.m. near Parson’s Landing. The boy apparently reached into the water after the kayak was bumped, L.A. County Fire Department Lifeguards explained in a tweet.
It was not clear what type of shark was involved, but juvenile great white sharks are feeding off Southern California and have been known to bump floating objects in an investigatory manner.
At 7:15 today Lifeguard Paramedic Rescue Boat Crews responded to a medical emergency at Parson’s Landing on Catalina Island. 1 patient sustained an injury to their hand from an encounter with a shark. pic.twitter.com/ADkqiT7Oz0
— LACoFD Lifeguards (@LACoLifeguards) June 30, 2021
Chris Lowe, who runs the Shark Lab at California State University, Long Beach, told For The Win Outdoors that juvenile white sharks tagged off Southern California sometimes end up off Catalina.
L.A. County Fire Department Lifeguards described the incident by stating, “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.
“During the encounter, the patient reached their hand into the water and was bit by the animal.”
CBS News reported that the victim was a 15-year-old boy on a youth camping adventure.
Lifeguards closed the area to ocean activity for at least 24 hours.
–Generic great white shark image courtesy of ©Pete Thomas
