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A teen paddleboarder had a "close encounter" of the shark kind while in the water off the coast of Santa Catalina Island over the weekend, but luckily the only victim was her board.
The 15-year-old girl was with a group of paddleboarders about 200 yards from shore about a mile from Avalon when the shark joined in, according to City News Service.
The girl was not injured.
A photo of the bitten board was published by someone who had been in the area, and Tweeted out:
Following the attack, the Los Angeles County Fire Department has been cautioning those using the waters off Catalina to be aware of the possibility of shark attacks, and have been conducting additional patrols in the area to watch for sharks. However, the LACFD has noted that a shark encounter is "an extremely rare occurrence."
