SoCal Teen Survives Gnarly Shark Attack While Surfing

PALOS VERDES, CA –A 19-year-old California Polytechnic State University student is recovering Wednesday after surviving a shark attack at a beach on the central coast.

Nick Wapner, of Rancho Palos Verdes, was surfing at Sandspit Beach in Montana de Oro State Park when he was attacked by a shark Tuesday morning, ABC7 reported. A 15-foot great white shark clamped down on Wapner's right ankle and then up to his left thigh, Park Ranger Supervisor Robert Colligan told the news station.

“It all happened quickly, but I turned and saw that it had one of my legs in its mouth,” Wapner told the San Luis Obispo Tribune. "The thing was huge."

He recalled to ABC7 that he yelled to his friends, who were already heading back to shore, that he'd just been attacked by a shark. His friends drove him to a nearby hospital, where the communications student received more than 50 stitches.

“It may have been kind of an exploratory bite, as sharks will sometimes do,” Colligan told Fox News. “The shark might have bitten, and then realized it wasn’t what it was looking for and let go.”

Wapner grew up in Palos Verdes regularly surfed at L.A.-area beaches, the news station reported. He said the shark attack hasn't deterred him from surfing again in the future.

“I’ll just take it one day at a time,” Wapner said.

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Guess that disproves the yum yum yellow theory. I don’t know much on this but I’ve heard this SLO surfer is ok. Nor was I there and I not did I take this photo. Our thoughts out to them. If anyone knows please let us know. Be safe all. It’s their world and we’re only playing in it.
A post shared by StillFrothy (@stillfrothy) on Jan 8, 2019 at 12:50pm PST

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