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<\/p>\nA SURFER is in critical condition after he was mauled by a shark off the coast of California. <\/p>\n
The terrifying attack unfolded on Sunday morning when the victim named Eric was out surfing with friends near Salmon Creek Beach in Sonoma County. <\/p>\n
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Eric, who is in his 30s, was bitten on the thigh by the shark that crept up under his board, according to officials with Bodega Bay Fire Protection District. <\/p>\n
His friend Jared Davis described the harrowing incident to KPIX, saying the attack unfolded slowly as Eric cried out for help. <\/p>\n
"I saw the dorsal fin of the shark and then I saw the tail fin,Davis recalled.\u00a0<\/p>\n
"They were going down into the water. It definitely wasn't like a quick attack. It was nice and slow. Kind of like a dolphin peaking up."<\/p>\n
Davis, who was swimming about 15 yards away, said Eric yelled out "shark!" as he fought his way back to the shore with a "red stripe" of blood peaking through his wetsuit. <\/p>\n
About 12 fellow surfers rushed to help Eric onto the beach, where they administered first aid until paramedics arrived. <\/p>\n
"The first thing we did was use a surf leash to apply a tourniquet," Davis told KGO. "We did that with two separate surf leashes tied them as tight as we could."<\/p>\n
Eric was then airlifted to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital in critical condition. He is expected to survive.<\/p>\n
Paramedics Jonathan Bauer and Timothy Saluzzo praised the quick actions of the surfers who stepped in to help Eric. <\/p>\n
"Based on the care he got prior to arrival I think it really helped to save his leg," Saluzzo said.<\/p>\n
Bauer said Eric managed to fight off the shark by striking it in the face. <\/p>\n
In the wake of the attack, Salmon Creek Beach was closed to visitors for two days.<\/p>\n
Officials said it was not clear what type of shark mauled Eric, but great whites are known to inhabit the waters surrounding Bodega Bay. <\/p>\n
Another surfer, Katie Wilson, was bitten by a shark about 100 yards from North Salmon Creek Beach in May 2019. <\/p>\n
So far in 2021, there have been 57 shark attacks reported in the US, according to trackingsharks.com. <\/p>\n
Just last week, a 15-year-old boy was bitten on his birthday while swimming off the coast of Florida.<\/p>\n
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