A freediver has been bitten by a shark in California.
Tyler McQuillen was spearfishing off Refugio State Beach on Thursday September 1.
The 6 to 8 foot (1.8 to 2m) shark came from behind the 22-year-old and bit his fin and foot. He used his speargun to stab the shark as he made his way back to the beach.
Once he was back on the beach, around 9am, he alerted authorities and then drove himself to the hospital.
Eric Hjelstrom, a State Parks superintendent for the Santa Barbara area, visited the man in the hospital and viewed footage taken by the man on a GoPro camera. After viewing the footage, Hjelstrom was able to confirm that a large shark, possibly a great white, bit the man.
The State Park recommended people stay out of the water for 24 hours, a standard protocol for California parks when sharks are acting aggressively.
McQuillen had two broken toes, but plans on getting back in the water soon.
The GoPro footage has been released and can be viewed here
This is the fifty-eighth shark attack bites of 2016, 5 of which were fatal. Twenty-six reported in the US, with seventeen occurring in Florida. Eleven have occurred in Australia, three of which were fatal.
All locations can be viewed on the 2016 shark attack bites tracking map.
