Shark attack saves man's life after cancer discovered

A holidaymaker in California has credited a shark attack for saving his life.

Eugene, from Massachusetts, was enjoying a family holiday at Huntington Beach, California, when the shark smashed into him.

See also: 'Aggressive' hammerhead shark attacks kayaker in California

See also: Rare sofa shark caught off coast of Scotland

According to the Mirror, Eugene said: "Something struck me from behind. I'd never been hit like that before. It was pretty jarring. It kind of gave me instant whiplash."

He suffered cuts and bruises and was left in pain after the encounter, so he went to the hospital to get checked out.

While checking his chest and back pain, which was due to interior bruising caused by blunt force trauma from the shark, the doctors also found a cancerous tumour the size of a walnut on his kidney - and Eugene says that finding the cancer early saved his life.

Doctors at St Elizabeth's Medical Centre removed the tumour and Eugene does not need chemotherapy or radiation.

Speaking to CBS Boston, Eugene added: "The shark was a real message to me. If this didn't happen with the shark, causing me to go in with this chest pain, I would have never known about this cancer.

"I feel fortunate. I really feel like I've gotten a second chance at life and I'm not going to blow it."

Although the species of the shark involved in this incident is unclear, the encounter follows a number of scrapes with hammerhead sharks in California recently.

At the end of September, an 'aggressive' hammerhead attacked a man's kayak while he was fishing for bonita off the coast of Santa Barbara.

And, in early September, a kayaker received a "deep wound" after being attacked by a hammerhead shark in California.

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