Community, Diversity, Sustainability and other Overused Words

3 Sharks Close Huntington Beach To Swimmers as Sheriffs Take No Chances.

OC Beach is now closed to swimmers, until at least Monday.

Update: Police helicopters spotted two more great white sharks in the waters off Seal Beach on Monday. 2 miles of beach from Seal Beach to Huntington Beach was closed. Second day, second closure due to sharks. Police Lt. Claude Panis noted that the sharks weren't doing anything threatening, but the beach was closed nevertheless in an abundance of caution.

An Orange County Sheriff's Department helicopter crew sighted "several large sharks" trolling the waters off Anderson Street in Huntington Beach, and authorities decided to close 2 miles of beach to swimmers.

A Huntington Beach City helicopter also spotted three sharks, perhaps the same three sharks, at 2:30 PM on Sunday.

Lt. Claude Panis from the Huntington Beach Fire Department's Marine Safety Division said the sharks were about 150 yards offshore, at about 2 PM Sunday.

A shark attacked a 52 year old woman swimming 100 yards off of Huntington Beach on May 29, 2016, forcing a 3 day closure of that beach. Florida has six times as many shark attacks as California does, experts say.

Sunset Beach in Huntington Beach, and Sunset Beach in Seal Beach were closed. The two beaches adjoin each other. Authorities said they would reconsider the decision Tuesday morning.

The most recent shark attack in California occurred on October 13, 2012. Francisco Solorio, 39, died after he was bitten on the left side of his upper torso by a great white shark while surfing. The attack occurred at Surf Beach near Vandenberg Air Force Base in Santa Barbara County, California, just two years after a fatal attack in the same location. Authorities from the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office positively identified the species involved in the attack as a 15–16 feet great white shark.

 

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