San Mateo Kayaker Escapes Great White Shark
POSTED: 8:42 am PDT July 24, 2007
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BEAN HOLLOW STATE BEACH, -- A man fishing off an isolated Northern California beach was tossed out of his kayak when a great white shark attacked the tiny boat.
The fisherman, identified only as "Dan" on the NorCal Kayak Anglers Web site, scrambled back onto the kayak and paddled furiously to shore with the help of another boater. The attack left deep gnaw marks on the boat.
The attack occurred Saturday off Bean Hollow State Beach, some 20 miles south of Half Moon Bay, where about 18 kayakers launched around 7 a.m. Saturday before splitting into two groups.
"Everyone had been fishing for a while -- for a good two, three hours," said John Dale of Foster City, a member of the kayak fishermen's club. "From what he told me, basically he was fishing and was adjusting a lure, and all of a sudden he was thrown from his kayak into the water.
"When he came up, he thought he had been hit by a boat, but when he looked the shark was still on the front of his kayak, latched on, gnawing on the kayak. He thought about it for a second and decided he better get back onto the kayak, even though it was still on the nose."
Dale said the shark released the boat soon after he climbed back in. He was unharmed.
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