A retired teacher is in the hospital after being attacked by a shark off Pacific Grove in Monterey County, California.
Friends have identified Stephen Bruemmer as the swimmer who was mauled June 22, by a suspected great white shark.
The professor, who worked at Monterrey Peninsula College, was swimming off Lovers Point Beach in Pacific Grove. He was around 150 yards off the beach when the shark struck around 10:35 a.m.
Bruemmer, who is part of a swim club that swims in the area most days, was heard screaming for help as he slapped the water. A vacationing nurse and police officer heard his calls for help and paddle boarded to his aid along with a surf instructor. They placed him on a board and brought him to shore.
Monterey Fire, American Medical Response, and Pacific Grove police responded to the scene to find the Good Samaritans administering first aid to a patient with injures to his arm, leg and torso.
He was taken to the hospital and was reported to be speaking and in stable condition.
The fire department used a drone to search for the shark as the Coast Guard searched on the water.
California had four shark attack bites in 2021.
Thomas Butterfield, 42, was killed by a white shark while boogieboarding Dec. 24. The shark made multiple strikes, killing the avid outdoorsman within minutes.
Eric Steinley, 38, was surfing North Salmon Creek Beach Oct. 3 when he was bitten on the thigh by a suspected white shark.
Eddie Cahill, 15, suffered a hand injury while kayaking June 30 off Catalina Island June 30..
Snorkeler Nemanja Spasojevic, 38, was bitten on the thigh June 27 off Grey Whale Cove State Beach.
All locations are viewable on the 2022 Shark Attack Map.
