Shark attacks are less likely to kill you than you think
You may be surprised to find that your risk of dying from a shark attack is low.
Cody Godwin, Getty Images
Authorities continued to search for missing swimmers on Monday, Dec. 22, after shark sightings were reported in Northern California and beaches were closed over the weekend.
Around noon on Sunday, Dec. 21, the Pacific Grove Police Department and Monterey Fire Department responded to a report of a missing swimmer off Lovers Point, according to a joint statement from the cities of Pacific Grove, Monterey and the U.S. Coast Guard.
“Two witnesses indicated that the swimmer may have encountered the shark while swimming offshore near Lovers Point,” the release states.
Lover’s Point is located in Pacific Grove, a coastal city near Monterey, about 185 miles south of San Francisco.
Emergency response teams then began a search and rescue operation with assistance from the U.S. Coast Guard, the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office and California State Parks, but the swimmer had still not been found by 8 p.m. local time.
Rescue teams conducted a search operation but reported that they had found no trace of the swimmer and planned to continue the search on Monday, December 22nd.
The swimmer’s family has been “informed of the situation,” the statement continues.
Authorities have not released the name of the missing swimmer.
“There’s a human body in your mouth.”
Pacific Grove Police Commander Brian Anderson said the missing swimmer was a 55-year-old woman with blue eyes and blonde hair who was swimming “with a regular group that meets in the area every Sunday,” according to KSBW-TV.
The group entered the water as usual, and witnesses on the shoreline reported seeing a “large splash” when the woman went missing, police said, which caused the other swimmers to “return to shore, fearing they had been attacked by a shark. All members of the group returned safely, except for the missing swimmer.”
Christopher Sappy of the U.S. Coast Guard reported that a witness described a frightening encounter between a man and a shark in the water.
“The person who reported the shark sighting claimed to have seen the shark break the water with something that looked like a human in its mouth,” Sappy told SF Gate. “Then they saw the shark sink below the surface without surfacing.”
Authorities could not confirm whether there was a connection between the missing woman and the reported shark sighting.
Lover’s Point Beach and nearby swimming spots are closed
Monterey’s Lover’s Point Beach, Maccabee Beach and San Carlos Beach will remain closed through Tuesday, Dec. 23 as a precaution, officials in both cities announced.
According to a notice posted on social media, beach advisories remain in effect for the following locations:
- Asilomar State Beach
- Monterey Municipal Beach
- del monte beach
- Monterey State Beach
Shark attacks in California so far this year
As of Monday, Dec. 22, there have been three reported shark attacks on humans in California this year.
There were no deaths, according to the report.
According to data from the International Shark Attack File maintained by the Florida Museum of Natural History, an average of 65 shark attacks are recorded each year worldwide.
Last year, 47 people were bitten in unprovoked attacks.
Natalie Neisa Alland is a senior reporter at USA TODAY. Contact her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her at X @nataliealund.
