Popular California beach closed for the holiday after ‘aggressive’ shark bumps surfer off board
Authorities have closed a stretch of a popular Southern California beach for the Memorial Day holiday
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A popular beach in California was forced to close for the Memorial Day holiday due to an ‘aggressive shark.’
A 2-mile (3.2-kilometer) stretch of a popular Southern California beach was closed for the Memorial Day holiday after a shark bumped a surfer off his board the night before, authorities said.
The 24-hour closure at San Clemente was announced after the surfer came out of the water and reported the shark's aggressive behavior to lifeguards around 8 pm Sunday, the Orange County Register reported.
The surfer, who wasn't hurt, was bumped after seeing a large, dark object swimming toward him, San Clemente Marine Safety Lt. Sean Staubenbaur said.
The sand remained open to the public, but beachgoers were warned to stay out of the water until 8 p.m. Monday.
Though disappointed, the closure didn't stop 6-year-old Waylon Andino's plans for a lemonade fundraiser.
“It’s Memorial Day weekend, we’ll live it up and have fun with the kids regardless and enjoy each other’s company,” Waylon’s mom, Kylie Andino, told the Register.
A sighting of a shark 10 feet (3 meters) or longer calls for a closure, usually for several hours, while any kind of aggressive behavior automatically prompts a 24-hour shutdown, pending no additional shark sightings.