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Swimmer bitten by 7-foot great white shark at Manhattan Beach

Source: Agencies | July 7, 2014, Monday | Online Edition

THE man mauled by a great white shark this weekend at a popular southern California beach has finally opened up about the terrifying attack, as Daily Mail reported.

Steven Robles, 40, was bitten by the seven-foot beast around 9.30am Saturday morning at Manhattan Beach while it was snagged on a fishing line, it panicked and bit the swimmer out of fear while trying to wriggle free, the report said.

'It came from the bottom of the water. It came up to the surface, it looked at me and attacked me right on the side of my chest,' Robles told KABC. 'That all happened within two seconds.'

'I saw the eyes of the shark as I was seeing it swim towards me,' he continued. 'It lunged at my chest, and it locked into my chest.'

Robles has been released from the hospital and is expected to make a full recovery.

'I’m still pretty shaken up. I’m still rattled, my nerves are still shaky,' he told KCAL. 'For a second, I thought this might be it, I was absolutely terrified.'

'I never thought I would die in the ocean.'

Fishermen on the Manhattan Beach pier, one of whom snagged the shark, laughed at the victim just after the attack, footage has revealed.

The fishermen didn't realize Steven Robles, 40, had been bitten and laughed at his screams, but they quickly clammed up when it the severity of situation hit them.

'There he is, look at him,' yells one of the fishermen as they reel in the ocean beast. 'Look at him! Look at him!'

Grainy footage shows group of swimmers. Among them, the whipping snout and tail of a shark can briefly be made out.

In the moments that follow, the group of men and woman watching from the pier all break out into laughter at the man's expense.

'He's right at him,' says one man, as there is a renewed burst of laughter.

The group appears unaware Robles has been seriously hurt, but they know he's terrified and still laugh.

'You hear him screaming?' asks a man. 'He was right on top of him.'

But that's when things take a turn.

Robles' blood-curdling screams turns the laughter to stunned silence.

But the fisherman told the Los Angeles Times they were unaware they had a shark on the line at the time they were laughing.

'My buddy's pole takes off. He fights for 10 or 15 minutes and passes it to me,' said the man identified only as Jason.

'We spent 20 to 30 minutes not knowing what it is yet. When we catch bat rays in excess of 150 pounds, their pull and tug is similar to a great white. They're called mud marlins because of the way they fight.'

It was not until the snagged creature was 150 feet away, about 30 yards offshore and only 10 feet from Robles did they realize it was a shark, Jason claimed.

That's when the fisherman tried to pull the shark out to sea before cutting the line, likely causing it to panic and attack Robles.

'We are deeply concerned about the swimmer,' said Jason. 'No one intended this to happen.'

Police have no plans to arrest any of the fisherman, sources told the Times.

The ailing man was quickly pulled from the ocean as the fishermen yelled to other swimmers to get out of the water as quickly as possible.

He was conscious and talking to paramedics while being taken to UCLA Harbor Medical Center, reported CBS Los Angeles.

The experienced swimmer was reportedly with a group of 15 frequent swimmers who dive into the water every Saturday in popular spots from Hermosa to Manhattan Beach Pier, and who were training for an International Swim Meet.

Robles told reporters he punched the shark in the nose, which is a frequently recommended strategy when faced with an attack.

Robles credits the quick thinking, along with God's intervention, for his survival.

A religious man, he recently swam to raise money for his Hermosa Beach church.

The shark had reportedly been hooked by a fisherman, panicked and bit Robles in the ribs, back and right arm, causing multiple puncture wounds, police told Redondo Patch.

Witnesses told the Los Angeles Times the shark had been on the fishing line for nearly an hour and panicked, leading to the attack.

He was in the water while part of a group training, the site said, and was still conscious when loaded into the ambulance.

The beach has since been reopened. The man’s is in stable condition at a local hospital.

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