California Beach Closed After Shark Encounter
California beach closed for 24 hours after a shark bumped a surfer off his board. The incident occurred on Sunday evening at a popular Southern California beach in San Clemente.
Surfer Reports Shark Encounter
Lifeguards initiated the California beach closure after a surfer reported a close encounter with a shark around 8 pm on Sunday.
Ocean water at all City of San Clemente beaches has been closed due to confirmed aggressive shark behavior in the vicinity of T-Street Beach. Beaches will remain open, but water access will remain closed until 8:00pm tonight (5/27/24), pending no additional shark sightings. pic.twitter.com/bLCCWMscg0
— CityofSanClemente,CA (@CitySanClemente) May 27, 2024
Source: Twitter/CitySanClemente
According to the Orange County Register, the surfer escaped unharmed but was nudged by the shark after spotting a large, dark shape approaching him.
Lieutenant Sean Staubenbaur, from San Clemente Marine Safety, confirmed the incident and the subsequent California beach closure.
Beach Closed for Swimming, Open for Sunbathers
While the California beach closure prevented swimming, the beach remained open for other activities. Visitors were simply advised to stay out of the water until 8 pm on Monday.
The closure caused some disappointment, but it didn't dampen the spirits of 6-year-old Waylon Andino who planned to hold a lemonade fundraiser despite the turn of events.
"We'll still have a good time with the kids and enjoy each other's company," Waylon's mother, Kylie Andino, told the Register in a display of optimism despite the California beach closure.
Shark Sightings and Closures
Beach closures due to shark sightings are not uncommon. Typically, a sighting of a large shark, around 10 feet (3 meters) or longer, triggers a closure lasting a few hours.
However, any sign of aggressive behavior from the shark, as in this case, automatically extends the closure to 24 hours, with the beach reopening only if no further sightings are reported.
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