A Bay Area Beach Is Shut Down After A Man Escapes Shark Attack

SAN MATEO COUNTY, CA — A shark bit a man's surfboard over the weekend, knocking him off his board and causing the beach to shut down for 48 hours in San Mateo County. The beach is expected to reopen Monday afternoon, officials said.

The attack happened at 2 p.m. Saturday on Montara State Beach, according to California State Park officials.

Jens Heller, 42, of Albany, was in the water for approximately less than 15 minutes when a shark bit his board, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. He fell off his board and swam back to shore after the shark let go, the newspaper reported. He was uninjured.

Lifeguards cleared the water and shut down the beach for 48 hours. The beach is supposed to reopen at 2 p.m. Monday.

“California State Parks would like to remind visitors that sharks are an important part of the coastal ecosystem and that interactions between people and sharks are rare,” the agency stated.