DILLIGAF
08-30-2007, 10:12 PM
I used to go to this beach all the time. Not to get in the water as it was always cold to me but just to check out the surfers and Hang Gliders. Crazy......
SHARK ATTACK
Surfer injured off Marina State Beach
By LAITH AGHA and LARRY PARSONS
Herald Staff Writers
Article Last Updated: 08/29/2007 09:41:44 AM PDT
Great white settles into big tankShark attacks in Monterey County watersExpecting the unexpectedWhite SharkBeachgoers along the southern edge of Monterey Bay have been warned to stay out of the water after a 24-year-old surfer was attacked by a great white shark Tuesday morning off Marina.
Todd Endris, a home aquarium designer, was sitting on his board between waves when the 12-foot-long shark emerged from the water and bit him and his surfboard, dragging him beneath the surface. The incident was reported shortly after 10:30 a.m.
He was reported in fair condition Tuesday evening in Valley Medical Center in San Jose. Officials said he suffered from cuts to his torso and right thigh.
Marina State Beach will remain closed until state park officials and the Department of Fish and Game determine otherwise, said Loren Rex, spokesman for State Parks. Warnings of the shark attack have been posted from Monterey State Beach to Moss Landing Harbor, Rex said.
Shark warnings have also been posted on Monterey city beaches.
Endris, who lives in Marina, was described as an avid surfer and a regular in the waters off Marina.
"Surfing is his passion,'' said his father, Michael Endris. "He knows what he's doing. He surfs every day."
His father said his son teaches surfing classes at the university. He is also a graduate of Archbishop Mitty High School in San Jose.
"We were scared, of course," said his mother, Kathi Endris, on hearing the initial news of the attack from her son's friend.
Marine biologist Robert Lea said it was clear the attack was by a great
white shark, but not one of the biggest great whites. They can grow to more than 20 feet long, but this one was probably 12 to 13 feet, Lea said.
Lea said posting the beach would be a precautionary move by state park officials. But as to whether the shark that attacked Endris is still in the area is uncertain.
"If you asked five different people, you'd probably get five different answers," he said.
Lea said August and September are the two months with the greatest number of shark attacks. But they are still a very rare occurrence. Along the California, Oregon and Washington coasts, there's an average of 2.5 shark attacks annually, he said.
"It's very rare, when you think of all the people in the water, diving, kayaking, surfing," he said. "More people die from bee strings or from being hit by lightning."
The dramatic encounter was the 10th recorded shark attack on a human being in Monterey County waters since 1952. Two of those attacks were fatal.
Eyewitnesses said Endris was pulled into the water by the shark, but resurfaced seconds later, conscious, but "gushing" blood from gashes in his back.
Joe Jansen, 24, one of three other surfers who were also in the water at the time of the attack, said he heard Endris scream.
"A pod of dolphins came by, then a few seconds later I looked over and saw a huge splash," Jansen said. The shark "was right on top of him and took him under."
Once Endris resurfaced, Jansen pulled him back onto Endris' board and towed him toward the shore. Endris managed to ride a wave to land on his own, said Brian Simpson, 37, of Prunedale, who was also in the water at the time of the attack.
"You could tell he was injured because the white water behind him was all red," Simpson said.
Jansen, Simpson and Wes Williams, the other surfer in the water, tended to Endris and talked to him while waiting for medical help.
"He must have been in shock because he said he didn't feel any pain," Jansen said. "He was talking to us, answering questions."
State park officials received the call soon after 11 a.m. Endris was taken by ambulance to the Marina Municipal Airport, where he was airlifted to the San Jose hospital.
The initial 911 call came from the Marina Coast Water District office, which is adjacent to the state beach's parking lot.
"A passerby ran up to the window and motioned to me that something was going on in the water," said Marc Lucca, the water district's general manager. "At first I couldn't understand him because I couldn't hear him through the water. Then he wrote 911 in the window and pointed to the water. Then I realized someone was hurt in the water."
Endris was described as an avid surfer and a regular in the waters off Marina. He worked at Picture Perfect aquarium shop in Marina.
"He tries to surf every day it is surfable," said Pat Watson, a 58-year-old surfer and lecturer at CSU-Monterey Bay.
Watson surfed Wednesday morning farther up the coast, but rushed to Marina beach when word of the shark attack spread through the surfing community.
"It's very unnerving," he said, his voice cracking. "I don't know. I was thinking I might go into volunteer service" rather than continue surfing.
He said it's fairly common to see sharks in the water around Marina.
"When you surf Marina you always have a fear of sharks," Watson said. "You see them. There's always stuff swimming around out there."
He said a couple of kids reported seeing a shark in the water near the beach last month.
"It's not really something you talk about when you're out in the water," Watson said.
Lee Morrow, who works with Endris at the aquarium shop, said he learned about the attack when he was heading to work. He ran out to the beach and picked up Endris' dog, a boxer-Labrador mix named Cosmo, back to the store with him.
Morrow, a scuba diver, said Endris is also a certified diver and has a degree in sports medicine. Morrow said that while the incident is certain to attract a frenzy of media coverage, the attack on his friend and co-worker was "probably a one-in-a-million chance."
"I'm sure the news is going to blow up with shark stories and freak out people," he said.
Morrow said he feels safer when scuba diving because he can see what's going on around him in the water.
"It's a little more intimidating being on the surface," he said.
Endris' friend, Chris Illig, rushed to the beach from work immediately after hearing about the attack.
"It could have been anyone," said Illig. "I've been surfing with him for years. I was surfing last night, this morning, I surfed here the last four, five days straight out here. For it to happen to one of your close buddies ..."
MediaNews reporter Sandra Gonzales contributed to this story.
Laith Agha can be reached at 646-4358 or lagha@montereyherald.com.
Larry Parsons can be reached at 646-4379 or lparsons@montereyherald.com.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Marina State Beach closed Warnings are being posted at other state beaches from Monterey to Moss Landing.
SHARK ATTACK
Surfer injured off Marina State Beach
By LAITH AGHA and LARRY PARSONS
Herald Staff Writers
Article Last Updated: 08/29/2007 09:41:44 AM PDT
Great white settles into big tankShark attacks in Monterey County watersExpecting the unexpectedWhite SharkBeachgoers along the southern edge of Monterey Bay have been warned to stay out of the water after a 24-year-old surfer was attacked by a great white shark Tuesday morning off Marina.
Todd Endris, a home aquarium designer, was sitting on his board between waves when the 12-foot-long shark emerged from the water and bit him and his surfboard, dragging him beneath the surface. The incident was reported shortly after 10:30 a.m.
He was reported in fair condition Tuesday evening in Valley Medical Center in San Jose. Officials said he suffered from cuts to his torso and right thigh.
Marina State Beach will remain closed until state park officials and the Department of Fish and Game determine otherwise, said Loren Rex, spokesman for State Parks. Warnings of the shark attack have been posted from Monterey State Beach to Moss Landing Harbor, Rex said.
Shark warnings have also been posted on Monterey city beaches.
Endris, who lives in Marina, was described as an avid surfer and a regular in the waters off Marina.
"Surfing is his passion,'' said his father, Michael Endris. "He knows what he's doing. He surfs every day."
His father said his son teaches surfing classes at the university. He is also a graduate of Archbishop Mitty High School in San Jose.
"We were scared, of course," said his mother, Kathi Endris, on hearing the initial news of the attack from her son's friend.
Marine biologist Robert Lea said it was clear the attack was by a great
white shark, but not one of the biggest great whites. They can grow to more than 20 feet long, but this one was probably 12 to 13 feet, Lea said.
Lea said posting the beach would be a precautionary move by state park officials. But as to whether the shark that attacked Endris is still in the area is uncertain.
"If you asked five different people, you'd probably get five different answers," he said.
Lea said August and September are the two months with the greatest number of shark attacks. But they are still a very rare occurrence. Along the California, Oregon and Washington coasts, there's an average of 2.5 shark attacks annually, he said.
"It's very rare, when you think of all the people in the water, diving, kayaking, surfing," he said. "More people die from bee strings or from being hit by lightning."
The dramatic encounter was the 10th recorded shark attack on a human being in Monterey County waters since 1952. Two of those attacks were fatal.
Eyewitnesses said Endris was pulled into the water by the shark, but resurfaced seconds later, conscious, but "gushing" blood from gashes in his back.
Joe Jansen, 24, one of three other surfers who were also in the water at the time of the attack, said he heard Endris scream.
"A pod of dolphins came by, then a few seconds later I looked over and saw a huge splash," Jansen said. The shark "was right on top of him and took him under."
Once Endris resurfaced, Jansen pulled him back onto Endris' board and towed him toward the shore. Endris managed to ride a wave to land on his own, said Brian Simpson, 37, of Prunedale, who was also in the water at the time of the attack.
"You could tell he was injured because the white water behind him was all red," Simpson said.
Jansen, Simpson and Wes Williams, the other surfer in the water, tended to Endris and talked to him while waiting for medical help.
"He must have been in shock because he said he didn't feel any pain," Jansen said. "He was talking to us, answering questions."
State park officials received the call soon after 11 a.m. Endris was taken by ambulance to the Marina Municipal Airport, where he was airlifted to the San Jose hospital.
The initial 911 call came from the Marina Coast Water District office, which is adjacent to the state beach's parking lot.
"A passerby ran up to the window and motioned to me that something was going on in the water," said Marc Lucca, the water district's general manager. "At first I couldn't understand him because I couldn't hear him through the water. Then he wrote 911 in the window and pointed to the water. Then I realized someone was hurt in the water."
Endris was described as an avid surfer and a regular in the waters off Marina. He worked at Picture Perfect aquarium shop in Marina.
"He tries to surf every day it is surfable," said Pat Watson, a 58-year-old surfer and lecturer at CSU-Monterey Bay.
Watson surfed Wednesday morning farther up the coast, but rushed to Marina beach when word of the shark attack spread through the surfing community.
"It's very unnerving," he said, his voice cracking. "I don't know. I was thinking I might go into volunteer service" rather than continue surfing.
He said it's fairly common to see sharks in the water around Marina.
"When you surf Marina you always have a fear of sharks," Watson said. "You see them. There's always stuff swimming around out there."
He said a couple of kids reported seeing a shark in the water near the beach last month.
"It's not really something you talk about when you're out in the water," Watson said.
Lee Morrow, who works with Endris at the aquarium shop, said he learned about the attack when he was heading to work. He ran out to the beach and picked up Endris' dog, a boxer-Labrador mix named Cosmo, back to the store with him.
Morrow, a scuba diver, said Endris is also a certified diver and has a degree in sports medicine. Morrow said that while the incident is certain to attract a frenzy of media coverage, the attack on his friend and co-worker was "probably a one-in-a-million chance."
"I'm sure the news is going to blow up with shark stories and freak out people," he said.
Morrow said he feels safer when scuba diving because he can see what's going on around him in the water.
"It's a little more intimidating being on the surface," he said.
Endris' friend, Chris Illig, rushed to the beach from work immediately after hearing about the attack.
"It could have been anyone," said Illig. "I've been surfing with him for years. I was surfing last night, this morning, I surfed here the last four, five days straight out here. For it to happen to one of your close buddies ..."
MediaNews reporter Sandra Gonzales contributed to this story.
Laith Agha can be reached at 646-4358 or lagha@montereyherald.com.
Larry Parsons can be reached at 646-4379 or lparsons@montereyherald.com.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Marina State Beach closed Warnings are being posted at other state beaches from Monterey to Moss Landing.