Shark attacks kayaker off Paradise Cove in Malibu, authorities say
A kayaker was attacked by a shark on Sunday morning off the coast of Malibu, Calif., according to the Los Angeles Country Fire Department.
The incident was reported around 8:30 a.m. local time as a bite or sting off Paradise Cove in Malibu, the fire department told ABC News.
The outlet reports that the fire department initially referred to the incident as a shark attack, but later said it was a fishing accident.
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Officials said that the kayaker was fishing near Paradise Cove when he caught a shark. While the man was trying to release the shark, it bit him and caused him to fall out of the kayak.
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The shark bit the man for a second time after he fell out of the kayak, the fire department added.
The man was transported to a local hospital and the victim’s condition remains unknown.
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Global News has reached out to the Los Angeles Country Fire Department for further comment, but has not received a response.
Los Angeles County lifeguards told NBC News Los Angeles that the man was on a fishing kayak when he reportedly hooked a shark and brought it on the vessel.
“The shark bit him, he let the shark go and then the shark came back and knocked him off the boat and attacked him again and bit his leg again,” lifeguard Alex Buford said.
Passengers of a nearby fishing boat reportedly helped the man get to safety following the attack, according to Buford.
Buford believes that the shark involved in the attack was a Shortfin Mako Shark.
The Shortfin Mako Shark is usually found offshore in tropical and warm temperate waters of all oceans. It is the fastest known species of shark, reaching moving speeds of around 72kp/h, according to the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation.
“Mako sharks typically stay in deeper water, so I don’t think there’s too much concern for shallow water swimming or anything,” Buford added. “That’s why we haven’t closed down (the beach).”
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Officials have not yet confirmed the shark species involved in the attack.
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A new bill aimed at establishing an alert system, similar to the Amber Alert system, to warn beachgoers of shark attacks, was signed into law by U.S. President Donald Trump in late June.
The legislation, titled Lulu’s Law, was approved by the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives in May and approved by Trump on June 26.
The bill comes after an Alabama teen, who narrowly survived a shark attack in June 2024, said she hopes the proposed alert system can help keep others safe in the water.
Lulu Gribbin was one of three people bitten by a shark on June 7, 2024, during a string of attacks off the Florida Panhandle. She lost her left hand and a portion of her leg.
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The bill by Republican Rep. David Faulkner issues a notice to the public when an unprovoked shark attack in the vicinity has occurred.
The legislation, which Gribbin advocated for, authorizes the warnings by classifying a shark attack as an event for which an emergency alert can be issued. It is up to states to implement the warnings.
The University of Florida’s International Shark Attack File (ISAF) reports that the odds of being bitten by a shark are incredibly low. ISAF recommends ocean swimmers stay close to shore, avoid swimming at dawn or dusk and avoid excessive splashing.
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