California surfer unscathed after shark bites a chunk out of her board

Surfer, Elinor Dempsey escaped injury off California's Morro Strand state beach after a shark swam under her board and bit a 35cm wide chunk out of it.


54 year Dempsey immediately jumped off her board and pushed it towards the shark.
Fellow surfers who witnessed the attack warned everyone else to get out of the water, whilst other surfers who were still in the water bravely helped Dempsey retrieve her board so she could get back on it an paddle to shore.


The Californian surfer had only been in the water about 35 minutes the shark approached her about 2 feet underwater. You can listen to Dempsey's account of the incident in the video (Pat Pemberton)


“First I thought it was a dolphin and I thought, ‘What the hell is he doing?’ ” she said. “And he kind of landed on my board. Then I realized he had taken a chunk. And I was, like, that’s not what dolphins do.”

 

Elinor Dempsey holding her surfboard, showing the bite taken by a shark on Saturday at Morro Strand State Beach. COURTESY DAVID WILSON

 

Supervising ranger, Lisa Remington said .... The beach was closed by officials for 72 hours and warning signs were posting on nearby beaches. 
Experts will later be able determine the size of the shark after the analyse the bite mark and teeth pattern.

A fish and wildlife biologist who was in the area and examined the board said that the shark was male and about 6 foot long.




In an interview with San Luis Obispo Tribune, Dempsey said that she was shaken by her close encounter with the shark and might take a break from surfing. “I’ll be staying close in from now on,” she said. “I’ll probably be on my boogie board for a little while.” She shaken and upset that she did not get long enough in the water ! Adding, “I didn’t get a wave,” That’s the worst part -- I got no waves.”

Dempsey said she had been in the water about 35 minutes when she saw the shark approach her about 2 feet underwater.
“First I thought it was a dolphin and I thought, ‘What the hell is he doing?’ ” she said. “And he kind of landed on my board. Then I realized he had taken a chunk. And I was, like, that’s not what dolphins do.”

 Elinor Dempsey shows off  her bitten surf board. Photograph: Laura Dickinson/AP