Orange County Beaches Close In Response To Shark Attack

SAN CLEMENTE, CA — In response to a shark attack near San Onofre State Beach on Saturday, the City of San Clemente’s Marine Safety Division enforced a closure of all San Clemente beaches. Those beaches remain closed on Tuesday morning according to officials.

On Saturday, Leeanne Ericson, 35, was swimming in the surf off the coast of Camp Pendleton about 6:30 p.m. A shark tore off the back of her thigh "from her glute to her knee," her mother, Christine McKnerney Leidle, wrote on a GoFundMe.com page set up to help defray the victim's medical costs.

"She's now in Scripps Memorial Hospital (La Jolla) fighting for her life," McKnerney Leidle wrote on the GoFundMe page. Two Orange County men assisted in rescuing the young mother who was bitten in that attack, according to reports from ABC7.

More than $24,000 had been donated to the victim via the web page by late Monday afternoon.
Authorities closed the beach in an area known as "Church" and were warning residents and visitors to stay out of the water. The site was expected to reopen to the public Wednesday morning, according to Camp Pendleton officials.

The attack -- believed to have been carried out by a great white or a sevengill shark -- was only the 11th recorded in the area in the past seven decades. The most recent fatal shark attack in San Diego County was off Fletcher Cove in Solana Beach in 2008.

Local Aggressive Shark Behavior

In San Clemente, local fisherman reported an 11-foot long great white sighting. There was also a report by State Lifeguards of aggressive shark behavior at Upper Trestles Sunday in which a shark chased surfers out of the water.

The State Lifeguards enforced a beach closure from Trail 6 to San Clemente’s public beaches, according to recent reports.

The beaches in San Clemente remained closed Monday as a precautionary measure due to the attack and an additional shark sighting by the San Clemente Pier late Sunday afternoon.

The City had planned to reopen San Clemente beaches Tuesday morning, however late Monday, the Orange County Fire Authority helicopter was flying down the coast and spotted a pack of 9 great white sharks just outside the surf line at Capistrano Beach.

“Based upon the distance of those sharks to San Clemente and their length, we have decided to keep the City’s beaches closed and then reevaluate the closure mid-morning using our shark policy as our guide,” said City Manager James Makshanoff.

City lifeguards follow a county-wide protocol and respond by closing the beaches if there is a perceived danger to the public.

This protocol is one that is agreed upon by all county lifeguard chiefs and state lifeguards.

"The City’s number one goal is to keep people safe, and reminds residents and visitors to be mindful that the ocean is a vast marine habitat. It is also imperative that we consider the safety of first responders; and, therefore, the City asks that the public be mindful of the signage posted on the beach and stay out of the water," the city manager's office said.

Lifeguards are on duty and red flag warnings notifying the public of hazardous conditions are visible along the beaches.

"The City encourages the public to report shark sightings, or any other threat, to lifeguards at the Marine Safety Headquarters building just north of the Pier or to the Pier lifeguard tower, which is manned seven days a week," they said.

Marine Safety can be reached at (949) 361-8219 and Sheriff’s Dispatch at (949) 770-6011 or 9-1-1 for emergencies.

The City reminds the beach-going public of these safety tips to help reduce your risk of sharks:

• Do not swim too far from shore
• Stay in groups – sharks are more likely to attack a solitary individual
• Avoid being in the water during darkness or twilight when sharks are most active
• Don’t go in the water if bleeding from a wound -- sharks have an acute sense of smell
• Leave the shiny jewelry at home – the reflected light resembles fish scales
• Avoid brightly-colored swimwear – sharks see contrast particularly well

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