Surfer survives 9ft shark attack in California
A man is recovering in hospital after he was bitten on the leg by a great white shark while surfing off the California coast.
Jay Scriver, 45, a university English teacher, was surfing with friends near his home town of Eureka on Sunday when the shark, which he estimated to be between eight and nine foot, appeared "out of nowhere".
According to the Metro, Mr Scrivner said from his hospital bed at Eureka's St Joseph Hospital: "Sometimes you have a feeling that the water is weird. But everyone was just so happy. I was lying on my board, paddling around just waiting for a wave set."
He said he saw the shark's teeth and nose as it attacked, and he took a swing at the animal while a friend said he let out a "primordial yell".
According to the Daily Telegraph, he said: "I couldn't believe it happened. When I turned away from the shark, I said, "Did I really get bit?". Your mind doesn't believe it."
He managed to paddle to the beach, where friends tied a T-shirt to the wound to stop the bleeding. He suffered some muscle tissue damage and required around 30 stitches.
Mr Scrivner, a married father-of-two who regularly surfs at the spot in Humboldt Bay, said the attack had not put him off and that he would "definitely surf again," but with trepidation.
He said he believed his old surf board, thicker than many newer ones, helped prevent more damage.
He told Sky News: "If you're going to get bitten by a shark, I had the best scenario."
According to Mercury News, another surfer, Scott Stephens, survived a shark attack in the same area last year.
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