A shark attack victim is undergoing surgery after surviving a brutal attack while surfing at Bunkers surf spot in Humbolt County, Northern California. The 25-year-old surfer was attacked on October 30th, 2012 around 12PM at the North Jetty, and assisted to shore by other surfers who then helped transported the seriously injured victim to the hospital for emergency surgery.  

 ”The victim had an approximate 14 inch bite wound and other wounds on his body that required surgery,” the Humbolt County Sheriff’s Department said in a statement. A 911 call notified authorities of the attack, but nearby surfers witnessing the horrific event were the first to respond.

Humboldt Surfrider posted an update to its Facebook page about the life-threatening shark attack on the North Jetty:

“A witness and friend says he saw the victim bob underwater, then his board popped up and he screamed for help. The witness says the bite went from the victim’s breast bone to his navel.”

Surfboard of Tuesday’s shark bite victim at the end of the North Jetty in Hulmboldt County. Photo: Surfrider Humboldt

Blue Lake resident Jason Gabriel drove the victim from the water’s edge to the intersection of U.S. Highway 101 and Myrtle Avenue, Eureka’s Times Standard reported, where emergency personnel met them. Gabriel said he doesn’t know the victim, but put him in his truck as fast as he could.

Latest reports share that the victim is in “fair condition” at St. Joseph Hospital.

The attack comes only a week after 39-year-old surfer Francisco Javier Solorio lost his life surfing off Lompoc in Santa Barbara County.

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Shannon Q (92 Posts)

Shannon Marie Quirk is the Head Editor of the TheSurfChannel.com. She is a sports journalist with Bachelors of Arts degrees in English and Spanish Literature from UCLA, trained as a photojournalist by the Los Angeles Times. A San Francisco native, Shannon is a surfer, snowboarder, photographer, and believes that athletes have a responsibility to take care of their playgrounds. She has spent the last three years in South America working as an environmental activist, while shredding the hemispheres.