Swimmer Sustains 'Significant Injuries' After Being Attacked by a Shark in California

Shafiq Najib
·2 min read
Monterey, CA, USA - May 2, 2021: People relaxing on the beach, Lovers Point Park ; Shutterstock
Monterey, CA, USA - May 2, 2021: People relaxing on the beach, Lovers Point Park ; Shutterstock

File: Shutterstock

A shark attack has left a man swimming on the California coast in Monterey County on Wednesday morning with "significant injuries," according to authorities.

The Pacific Grove Police Department said in a statement that the incident occurred around 10:30 a.m. at Lovers Point Beach in Pacific Grove.

In a video obtained by NBC Bay Area, nearby swimmers and surfers can be seen rushing toward the struggling swimmer following the attack.

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Once the victim was safely brought to the shore, he was immediately transported to Natividad Hospital via an ambulance, per the PGPD. According to the Associated Press, city officials said that the man suffered injuries to his stomach and leg.

The man has been identified as Stephen Bruemmer, a retired Monterey Peninsula College professor in his 60s, per KION-TV. His friend Jill Hannley told the news station Bruemmer suffered a broken femur but was awake and expected to recover.

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One of the good samaritans, Amee Johns, told NBC Bay Area she was "nervous" while trying to pull Bruemmer out of the water.

"I was at one point off my paddleboard and I was swimming and kicking because the surfer was pulling him and I was pushing from behind," she explained.

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Police said the Monterey Fire Department, with the assistance of the Seaside Fire Department, deployed a drone over the area to locate the shark, but the mission has not yet been successful. As a result of the event, the beach on the south end of Monterey Bay will be closed until Saturday.

"We send our prayers and thoughts to the swimmer and their family," the police department added in the news release.