Kayak fisherman reportedly attacked by shark in Humboldt

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SHELTER COVE, Calif. (KIEM)-A kayak fisherman was in for a surprise, when he says, he fell out of his kayak after a shark bit into the nose of his boat, on Friday afternoon.  

The kayaker, David Alexander, who happens to be Superintendent at Bellevue Union School District in Sonoma County, told Redwood News the moment he fell in, is the moment he wondered if he’d come out alive.   

“So, all I saw was big gray, I saw that, that mouth literally just wrapped around the front of my kayak.” He said. “ I didn’t have time to react, as he grabbed it (kayak), cause it looked like he came out of the water two to three feet, looks like he grabbed the boat and then when he was settling back into the water, it turned the boat, which meant, I got knocked into the water.”  

Alexander says he ended up on the same side of the boat as the shark’s face and could see the shark gripping the front of his kayak. 

“I could see the teeth, it wasn’t like he was thrashing but he was kind like, I want to say gumming it. i’m thinking to myself when let’s go he’s going to swim toward me.”  

But according to Alexander, the shark appeared to look at him, spun around then headed in the other direction.  

 “It took me about three times to get back into the boat, John my fishing partner came over , he was watching it, he came over , he was on the radio calling for help.”  

Alexander says, his boat began taking on water, but at a slow enough pace – he could pump the water out while paddling back to shore  

This is not the first time a kayak fisherman reported a shark attack in shelter cove – back in may a Eureka man was rescued after surviving hypothermia and a reported shark attack.  

Michael Thallheimer Jr. was also on a kayak when the reported shark attack occurred, however in his case, blood from his catch attracted a 16 to 18-foot-long shark – that then, took a bite of his boat six-inches from his foot.  

Thallheimer Jr. was pulled on board by a boater – he was bit shaken but sustained no injuries.  

Alexander says, he was told about the previous incident, and guesstimated the shark to be about the same size.  

“Fish and game is going to pick up my boat, to try to get some DNA off of it to see it it’s the same fish,” he said.  

Alexander was not injured in the reported shark attack – Redwood News could not reach the Department of Fish and Wildlife for comment. 

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