Possible shark attack under investigation after Northern California surfer injured
State park officials said sharks play an important role in the coastal ecosystem, and interactions with humans are rare.
FILE: Watch: Emergency crews respond to fatal shark attack in Sydney
A video recorded in an area of Sydney, Australia, shows emergency crews responding to a beach after a fatal shark attack on Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025.
MENDOCINO, Calif. — A surfer at a California beach sustained injuries to both legs in what appeared to be a possible shark bite on Wednesday, according to local news outlet KTVU FOX 2.
Around 5:15 p.m. local time, California State Parks officials said they received a report of a shark biting a 39-year-old man off Big River Beach in Mendocino Headlands State Park. Three off-duty lifeguards who were surfing nearby came to assist.
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KTVU reported that park officials have been posting signs at nearby beaches to inform the public of the 48-hour closure, which is part of the department’s standard protocol.
Multiple agencies responded to the incident, including State Parks, CAL FIRE, the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office, the Mendocino Fire Department and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
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FILE - Great White Shark, Carcharodon carcharias, dorsal fin six nautical miles off the coast of Gansbaai, quite close to Dyer Iceland and Geyser Rock, a great white shark breaks through the water surface. Its dorsal fin is an individual, special distinguishing feature of the shark, unique and unmistakable. The dorsal fin and also the tail fin with its asymmetric structure are ideal for the mobility of the shark.
(Education Images/Universal Images Group / FOX Weather)
State park officials reminded beachgoers that sharks play an important role in the coastal ecosystem, and interactions with humans are rare, KTVU highlights.
The victim was taken to a Fort Bragg hospital, with no update yet on his condition.
Park and wildlife authorities are investigating, and the state Department of Fish and Wildlife has collected evidence from the scene.
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