Keane Hayes is in critical condition after he was the victim of a shark attack Saturday morning
A beachgoer has described the moment he managed to rescue a teenager who had been bitten by a shark off a California beach.
Chad Hammel was kayaking on Saturday when he heard the boy scream.
‘It’s probably like ten feet of blood behind him. And he’s in a panic. He flops on top of my kayak and his whole clavicle and back is exposed.’
Hammel told Fox 5 San Diego: ‘I realized that he was yelling, “I got bit! I got bit!”‘
The man added that the victim’s collarbone was the center of the attack and they tried desperately to get him to safety.
‘His whole clavicle was ripped open,’ Hammel continued. ‘We told him he’s going to be okay, he’s going to be alright – we got help. I yelled at everyone to get out of the water: ‘There’s a shark in the water!’
Crews carried Hayes to a rescue helicopter shortly after he was injured by what witnesses say was a shark about 10 feet long.
The thirteen-year-old boy is in serious condition in hospital in San Diego but he should survive
Chad Hammel was kayaking on Saturday when he heard the boy scream and helped him out
After the boy was attacked, a medical helicopter was summoned in order to rescue the boy
Hayes, 13, was in serious condition on Sunday as he recovered at Rady Children’s Hospital-San Diego.
He had been listed in critical but stable condition following surgery Saturday.
‘The boy’s parents want to inform family, friends and the entire community that he is expected to make a full recovery,’ the hospital statement said.
Approximately four miles of beach stayed closed until 7am on Monday, officials said. There have been no reports of additional shark activity since the attack, Encinitas lifeguard Capt. Larry Giles told reporters on Sunday.
The incident happened around 7am on the opening day of California’s spiny lobster season and people looking for the creatures themselves were horrified to come across the attack at Beacon’s Beach in Encinitas.
Witnesses applied pressure to the wounds while beach-goers called paramedics
The teen suffered traumatic upper torso injuries and was conscious and talking while being brought to shore by fellow divers, Giles said a day earlier at Beacon’s Beach in Encinitas, about 27 miles north of downtown San Diego.
The attack occurred early Saturday during the opening hour of California’s popular spiny lobster season.
The boy was diving in about 9 feet of water approximately 150 yards offshore when he was attacked. Witnesses estimated the shark was about 11 feet long, but the type was not known, Giles said.
The victim was put in a helicopter and airlifted to Rady Children’s Hospital
Dr Chris Lowe from California State University is trying to find out what type of shark caused the injuries. It is estimated to be approximately 11-feet-long
‘Once we threw him up on the kayak and started heading in, that’s when I looked back, and the shark was behind the kayak. He didn’t want to give up yet.’
A group applied pressure to the wounds while beach-goers called paramedics, who put the victim in a helicopter to Rady Children’s Hospital.
A GoFundMe account has been established to help the family pay for medical expenses.
The most recent fatal shark attack in the area was in 2008 when a swimmer was killed at Solana Beach.
A more recent attack along the Camp Pendleton coast of north San Diego County was not fatal.
Earlier this month, a man died after being bitten by a shark off Cape Cod, Massachusetts.
After clearing the ocean area of surfers and swimmers, lifeguards watch over the waters
Beacon’s Beach was closed until Monday morning after the attack in Encinitas, California
Lifeguards were on the lookout for any further signs of the shark in the coastal waters