Great White Shark Attacks Surfer at Stinson Beach, California

On the afternoon of May 31, 2002, a 24-year-old male surfer from Bolinas was attacked by a great white shark approximately 80 yards offshore at Stinson Beach in Marin County, California. The incident occurred around 2:15 p.m. during ideal surfing conditions, with a south swell creating 4-foot breaking waves. The surfer, an experienced and athletic individual, was positioned about 10 feet farther seaward than a group of 12-15 other surfers when he heard a rustling in the water. Before he could turn to investigate, a 12-14 foot great white shark struck from beneath with remarkable speed and force, lifting him several feet out of the water in its jaws. Witness John Gilbert described the attack as surreal: "It was just like that, straight up like a missile." The shark thrashed violently with its dorsal fin and gills fully exposed. The surfer fought back, striking the shark on the snout at least once, and the shark released him after the initial attack. Due to his surfboard's position between himself and the shark's bite, the surfer sustained an eight-inch laceration to his left thigh extending to the femur, along with puncture wounds below his ribs, on his arms, and shoulder. His yellow surfboard bore a 13-inch arching bite mark. Fellow surfers provided immediate first aid using rash guards and leashes as tourniquets, then transported him to shore using a longboard as a stretcher. The surfer was airlifted to Eden Hospital in Castro Valley, where he underwent 90 minutes of surgery to repair skin and deep tissue damage. He remained in critical but stable condition with non-life-threatening injuries. Experts attributed the attack to mistaken identity, suggesting the surfer's wetsuit may have resembled a seal or sea lion to the shark. The incident was one of several unprovoked great white encounters documented along the California coast during this period.