Blood ‘all around’ as onlookers rush to aid swimmer attacked by shark in California
Onlookers heard a swimmer’s cries for help before rushing into the water to save him after a shark attack at a California beach, witnesses said.
Two paddleboarders and a surf instructor were near Lovers Point Beach in Pacific Grove when they heard someone yelling from the water on Wednesday, June 22, KRON reported.
“The swimmer was hemorrhaging a lot of blood, it was all around. We immediately paddled to him,” off-duty Sacramento police officer Paul Bandy told the news outlet.
Bandy was paddleboarding with his wife, who is a nurse, for their wedding anniversary, KSBW reported.
“We heard the cries for help probably out about 100 feet from the orange buoy out here,” surf instructor Heath Braddock told KTVU.
In the water, they found Steve Bruemmer. He often swims in the area with a swimming club, the outlet reported.
Braddock said he brought an extra board into the water and put Bruemmer on it before paddling him back to the shore, the outlet reported.
The shark had bitten the man on his leg and stomach, KSBW reported.
He was taken to Natividad Hospital, the Pacific Grove Police Department said.
Bruemmer suffered a broken femur but did not require amputation, his friend Jill Hannley told KION-TV.
A drone was used to scan the area for the shark, but it was not spotted.
Lovers Point and the Sea Palm turnout will be closed to the public until June 25 following the attack, police said.
“We want to express our gratitude and appreciation to the Good Samaritans that took immediate action and personal risk to assist the swimmer. We send our prayers and thoughts to the swimmer and their family,” police said in the release.
This story was originally published June 23, 2022 at 11:03 AM.
