Surfer injured in apparent shark attack at Pacifica beach

PACIFICA – A surfer was injured in an apparent shark attack Friday afternoon in Pacifica, police said.

The incident happened around 3:45 p.m. at Linda Mar Beach, the Pacifica Police Department said in a statement. Officers and North County Fire Authority firefighters arrived to find a 52-year-old man suffering from an injury to his lower leg.

The man told officers he was bitten while surfing. He did not see what bit him and could not confirm if it was a shark, police said.

The man was taken to a hospital to be treated for his injury, which was not considered life-threatening.

The incident follows two others in recent months along the Northern California coast.

On Oct. 1, the U.S. Coast Guard received reports that a swimmer was attacked by a shark and pulled under water at Wildcat Beach near Point Reyes. Authorities searched for the swimmer, identified as a 52-year-old Felix Louis N’jai, but did not find him.

A kayaker was also attacked by a shark at Bean Hollow State Beach in San Mateo County on Aug. 22. No injuries were reported in that encounter.

Excluding the most recent incident at Linda Mar Beach, there have been 211 shark attacks and incidents – 15 of them resulting in fatalities – off the California coast since 1950, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Anyone with information related to the incident in Pacifica can contact the police department at 650-738-7314.