It's a Legendary Swim. A Shark Stopped His Attempt

A swimmer attempting the grueling trek from Catalina Island to the California mainland had his long-distance effort interrupted early Tuesday when a shark bit his leg and foot. The swimmer, described as being in his early 50s, was about halfway through the 20-mile Catalina Channel crossing—one of the swims that makes up open water swimming's Triple Crown—when the incident occurred around 1:30am, officials tell KTLA.

Los Angeles Fire Department Fireboat Pilot Shaun Corby said the culprit appeared to be a juvenile white shark measuring three to four feet in length. It "just nipped at his leg and his foot and then took off," Corby said. The swimmer was assisted by crewmembers on his pace boat who also called for help; the LAFD transported him to a mainland hospital for treatment of what Corby categorized as minor injuries. Corby noted that sustaining a shark bite in this part of the ocean is "super rare." Indeed, CBS News reports just 15 shark bites have been confirmed in the Los Angeles area since 1950.

KTLA adds that the other swims that make up the so-called Triple Crown are the swims across the English Channel and around Manhattan Island. The Orange County Register reports swimmers who attempt the Catalina Channel crossing typically embark around midnight to avoid what the Catalina Channel Swimming Federation calls "blustery" afternoon winds. The federation outlines five factors that make the swim so difficult: its length, that midnight start, unpredictable currents, sharply fluctuating ocean temps, and the possibility of sea sickness on the boat ride required to get to Catalina Island.