"Shark Attack Survivors News Archive"

10/19/2005 Megan Halavais (California)

Shark Attack Survivors News Archive for Shark Attacks in 2005
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sharkbait
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10/19/2005 Megan Halavais (California)

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A young surfer who was paddling into the water was seriously injured Wednesday when she was grabbed from behind by a shark, pulled underwater and bit on the leg, authorities said.

Megan Hallava, 20, of Santa Rosa, was surfing off Salmon Creek Beach, a mile north of Bodega Bay, when the attack occurred at 11 a.m.

Hallava described the shark as 14 feet long and said she was released when she hit the shark on the tail, according to Sonoma County Sheriff's Department spokesman Lt. Roger Rude.

Hallava was helped from the water by other surfers. She was taken to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital with a bite that stretched from her thigh to her calf, but she's listed in good condition, Rude said.

Salmon Creek Beach has been the site of several shark attacks in recent years, Rude said. Police believe the shark was likely a great white. They have closed the beach and warned surfers in nearby locations.

Rude said Hallava was an experienced surfer.

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f ... 431D78.DTL
sharkbait
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BODEGA BAY – The water was eerily glassy and calm. Then a 16-foot shark attacked from behind, leaving a young surfer desperately trying to defend herself.
"It was weird. I was sitting out there thinking, 'Wow, this feels shark-y to me,'" Megan Halavais, 20, said Thursday. "It was straight out of 'Jaws.'"

Halavais was paddling into the water off Salmon Creek Beach in Sonoma County in Northern California on Wednesday when the shark attacked. Halavais, an experienced surfer, said she got away after she hit the shark on its tail.

"A 16-foot shark is a big shark. It's not just 16 feet in length. It's big. I couldn't fit my arms around its tail. Its fin, its main dorsal fin, was like taller than me," Halavais recounted for reporters at Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital as she sat in a wheelchair, her bandaged leg extended in front of her.

"I was just paddling. It came from behind. Sharks, if they want to eat you, they don't want you to see them before they eat you," she said.

"I felt a bump hit, I think that's when he bit me. I think I grabbed around – I was like trying to throw my body on top by his dorsal fin and then grab the tail. I was trying to push. I was just pushing it away."

Halavais, from Santa Rosa, was helped from the water by other surfers. She was taken to a hospital with a bite that stretched from her thigh to her calf. She was listed in good condition.

The beach has been the site of several shark attacks in recent years. Police believe the shark likely was a great white. They have closed the beach and warned surfers in nearby locations.

"The water was really glassy, really calm, really clear like you could see straight to the bottom," Halavais said. "Happy to be alive."

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/stat ... ttack.html
sharkbait
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Post by sharkbait »

Shark Attacks Swimmer Along California Coast
The Sonoma County Sheriff's Department responded to a shark attack just after 11 a.m. Wednesday at Salmon Creek on the Sonoma Coast.

Sonoma County Sheriff's Department spokesman Lt. Roger Rude said a call came in to the sheriff's department at 11 a.m. claiming that the victim suffered a leg injury and had stabilized.

Megan Hallava, 20, of Santa Rosa, was surfing off Salmon Creek Beach, a mile north of Bodega Bay, when the attack occurred at 11 a.m. Hallava described the shark as 14 feet long and said she was released when she hit the shark on the tail, said Rude.

Authorities say Hallava was grabbed from behind by the shark, pulled underwater and bit on the leg. Police believe the shark was likely a great white.

Hallava was taken to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital with a roughly 18-inch bite from her thigh to her calf, but is listed in good condition.

State Parks lifeguards have ordered everyone out of the water at Salmon Creek Beach, Rude said. The area is the site of past attacks involving White Sharks, Rude said.

Salmon Creek is a popular summer destination located along the Sonoma County Coast. A lagoon forms as sand closes the mouth of Salmon Creek, making the beach an ideal place for surf fishing, nature watching, beachcombing and picnicking.

http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/5127147/detail.html
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