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A 13-year-old was attacked by a 3 metre shark on September 29 while diving for lobsters with a friend in Encinitas, a popular beach town in California, People reports.
Keane Hayes became the first shark victim the area has seen in 30 years, CBS News reports.
Chad Hammel, a kayaker who witnessed the incident, said he heard the boy screaming, according to Fox News.
“At first I thought it was the excited yell of a fellow lobster diver. But then I realised he was yelling, ‘I got bit! I got bit!’”
He adds there was a lot of blood behind Keane and the teen’s entire back and clavicle were ripped open.
“We told him he’s going to be okay, he’s going to be alright.”
Chad says he yelled at everyone to get out of the water because there was a shark .
Keane was rushed by emergency services to a rescue helicopter and was in a critical condition at the time.
Since then his condition has been categorised as serious but he’s expected to make a full recovery.
During a press conference at Rady Children’s Hospital, Keane’s mom, Ellie Hayes, says she was in the vicinity when her son was attacked.
“I was on the cliff in the parking lot when I heard it,” she said.
When asked about further details on how the attack occurred, she said it’s her son’s story and she wants him to tell it the way he wants to.
"I think he’s very, very, very strong and he’s a survivor now,” she added.
