A two-mile stretch of a popular Southern California beach was closed for the Memorial Day holiday after a shark pushed a surfer off his board the night before, authorities said.
The 24-hour closure in San Clemente was announced after surfers came out of the water around 8 p.m. Sunday and reported aggressive shark behavior to lifeguards. Orange County Register report.
The surfer, who was not injured, said he saw a large black object swimming toward him and then struck it, according to Lt. Shawn Staubenbauer with San Clemente Marine Safety.
The beach remains open to the public but swimmers are warned not to go into the water until 8pm on Monday.
Though it was disappointing, the closure didn’t stop 6-year-old Waylon Andino from planning a lemonade fundraiser.
“It’s Memorial Day weekend, so we’re just going to have fun with the kids and enjoy each other’s company,” Waylon’s mother, Kylie Andino, told the Register.
Sightings of sharks over 10 feet (3 meters) typically order a closure for several hours, but aggressive behavior of any kind automatically orders a 24-hour closure unless there are additional shark sightings.
