SEASIDE, Ore. (NewsNation Now) — A surfer in Oregon was bitten by a shark, suffering injuries to his lower leg, but is expected to survive.
The shark attack occurred shortly before 3:30 p.m. Sunday in a popular surfing spot in South Seaside known as The Cove, according to Jon Rahl, a spokesman for the City of Seaside, NewsNation affiliate KOIN reported.
When local firefighters and medics arrived at the scene, fellow surfers and bystanders had managed to pull the injured adult male out of the water and carried him to a nearby parking lot. An off-duty lifeguard had applied a field tourniquet to the man’s leg to help slow the bleeding.
Officials credited the quick response as instrumental in aiding the victim.
“The fact that there were additional people on scene helped move this along pretty quickly,” Rahl said.
The victim was admitted to a local hospital’s trauma unit and his condition is not known at this time.
Sunday’s attack came nine years to the day after another surfer suffered a shark bite at the Seaside Cove. That victim, a female, also survived.
The Associated Press and NewsNation affiliate KOIN contributed to this report.