One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Fishermen Who Snagged Great White Shark In Manhattan Beach Attack Are Off The Hook
The Manhattan Beach pier, near where the swimmer was attacked. (Photo by bloodyeyeballs via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr)
The fishermen who hooked a great white shark who went on to attack a swimmer in a rare attack in Manhattan Beach this weekend won't be cited.
Fishermen had hooked a 7-foot-long shark and kept it on a line for 40 minutes, according to the Los Angeles Times. It's illegal to fish for great whites, but the fishermen said they didn't cut the line immediately because they hoped to guide the shark away from swimmers. It didn't work out that way. In its agitated state, the shark bit long distance swimmer Steven Robles. Though he thought he was a goner at the time, he's expected to recover.
Capt. Rebecca Hartman, a law enforcement officer with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, told the Times that they reviewed a video showing the attack and interviewed the fishermen: "So far, we have found nothing to indicate that this was malicious."
Manhattan Beach announced yesterday that the city was banning fishing off the pier in the meantime.
Here's the video of the fishermen, some bystanders and the attack from afar:
Related:
Video: Footage Of The Manhattan Beach Shark Attack, Swimmer 'Thought This Was It'
Map: Shark Attacks in California Since 1851
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
