Shark attack in Pacific Grove seriously injures swimmer

A shark attack in Monterey Bay left a swimmer with serious injuries Wednesday, authorities said.

The attack occurred at Lovers Point Beach in Pacific Grove, a community south of Monterey.

Pacific Grove police said that a man was attacked just before 11 a.m. while in the water near Lovers Point. That beach and Sea Palm Turnout were closed afterward. The beaches will remain closed for 72 hours as a precaution, police said.

The swimmer suffered major injuries to the stomach and leg, City Councilman Joe Amelia told KSBW-TV. He was taken to Natividad Hospital in Salinas, police said.

The Monterey Fire Department conducted a drone search for the shark, but there have been no sightings, police said. Authorities will continue to monitor the area while the beaches are closed.

"We want to express our gratitude and appreciation to the good Samaritans that took immediate action and personal risk to assist the swimmer," police said in a news release. "We send our prayers and thoughts to the swimmer and their family."

Sharks don’t often bite humans, experts say, but when they do, it’s usually because they mistake them for their typical prey or because they’re feeling threatened.

As the climate changes and the ocean gets warmer, the sharks are expanding their territory, showing up farther north in greater numbers. The Central Coast has become a favorite spot for sharks.

Last year, a man was riding a bodyboard in Morro Bay when a great white shark attacked him in what is believed to be the first fatal shark attack in San Luis Obispo County in 18 years.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.