Young great white shark bites surfer off California beach

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif., Dec. 29 (UPI) -- A juvenile great white shark attacked a surfer off a California beach, biting his hip and damaging his surfboard, a park ranger said.

The attack took place late Sunday morning at Sand Spit Beach in Montana de Oro State Park in San Luis Obispo. Supervising State Park Ranger Robert Colligan said the victim was a man in his 50s who lives in nearby Morro Bay and was surfing with friends.

Andrew Walsh, who was surfing in the area said it was "absolutely quiet" before the attack. He told the San Luis Obispo Tribune he was about 10 feet away.

The shark "came straight up out of the depths and got him and took him under the water. That was the amazing part: This big giant side of the shark just curving up out of the water," Walsh said.

The surfer, identified by friends as Kevin Swanson resurfaced within seconds and began paddling his board to shore while calling "shark attack."

The shark was described as a juvenile about 8 to 10 feet long. Great whites can grow to more than 20 feet in length.

"Witnesses said the shark came up from below," Colligan said. "It looked from the evidence that the board took the majority of damage but in the process the shark took a little bit from the right hip."

None of the other dozen or so surfers in the water at the time was attacked. Swanson was taken by helicopter to a hospital.

"He was fairly calm throughout, other than he didn't want to look down at his leg," Colligan said.

Signs were posted at the beach to give notice of the attack but it was not closed. Colligan said the last shark attack in the area was in 2003 about 10 miles from Sand Spit Beach.