A fisherman kayaking off the Malibu coast was taken to a nearby hospital Sunday morning after a reported shark encounter left him with two bite injuries.
The incident unfolded near Paradise Cove in Los Angeles County, according to KTLA.
Witnesses told the station that the man had hooked what appeared to be a mako shark. As he tried to free the animal, it reportedly bit him and knocked him into the water.
The shark allegedly struck a second time before disappearing into the water. The Los Angeles County Fire Department first referred to the event as a shark attack, but later described it as a “fishing accident,” ABC 7 reported.
FILE — A person paddles a fishing kayak in San Francisco Bay on April 1, 2017. A fisherman kayaking off Malibu was reportedly bitten twice by a shark on Oct. 4, 2026. (MediaNews Group/Bay Area News via Getty Images)
The manager of the nearby Paradise Cove Beach Cafe said he saw injuries around the fisherman’s legs after the man reached shore.
“He was bitten in two places,” the manager told KTLA. “I saw there were some teeth marks on his lower leg and above the knee.”
Video captured a lifeguard sprinting toward the injured fisherman shortly after the encounter, with a small fishing boat visible close by.
KTLA reported that another fisherman pulled the victim from the water, placed him aboard his boat and transported him back to shore.
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FILE — A view of the Malibu Pier in Malibu, California, on Aug. 21, 2026. A shark encounter off a Malibu beach sent an injured fisherman to a local hospital. (Apu Gomes/Getty Images)
The victim then reportedly contacted his girlfriend, a retired lifeguard. She helped him off the boat, supported him on the beach and called emergency services.
Los Angeles County Fire Department crews arrived and transported the fisherman to a local hospital, according to the outlet.
The cafe manager said the unusual incident stood out even in a location accustomed to unexpected events. “We’ve had a lot of crazy stuff happen here, but we’ve never had a shark attack like that,” he reportedly told KTLA.
Paradise Cove beach remained open after the reported shark encounter, ABC 7 reported.
A Shortfin Mako Shark swims under the surface in open water. (Nano Calvo/VWPics/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Shark sightings and encounters in Southern California can become more likely in October, when warmer ocean temperatures draw prey and juvenile sharks toward the coast. Shallow, warm waters also serve as nursery areas where young sharks can feed and mature with greater protection.
News Media contacted the Los Angeles County Fire Department seeking additional details about the Malibu incident.