James Eastman, 39, was attacked by a shark at Big River Beach in Mendocino, California, on Wednesday after 5pm, according to reports. The shark jumped on his board and tore into both of his legs, but Eastman managed to hang on and paddle back to shore, sources said. Three off-duty lifeguards who were surfing nearby rushed to his aid and provided medical care, after which he was taken to Adventist Hospital for treatment, as reported. The California State Lifeguards issued a statement thanking the off-duty lifeguards for their heroic actions. The species of shark involved in this attack has not been identified, according to sources.
Eastman's wife, Chloe, was working in the Emergency Room at Adventist Hospital when he was brought in, reports indicate. James Eastman is an English teacher at Mendocino Community High School, and he and Chloe were married just above Big River Beach where the attack occurred, according to sources. He had swung by the beach for a surf before he was supposed to pick up his nine-month-old son from daycare, as reported.
I felt something dragging me.
Community support has emerged through a GoFundMe page posted to aid with James Eastman's medical expenses and physical therapy, sources said. The California State Lifeguards also recognized the rescuers, highlighting the importance of ocean lifeguard programs.
In a separate incident, a surfer named Adam Baber was knocked into the water by a hammerhead shark while foil surfing, according to reports. Baber shared footage of the attack on Instagram. The hammerhead circled back on Baber after knocking him off but eventually changed its mind and spared him, as reported. Attacks from hammerhead sharks are incredibly rare, with only 18 reported unprovoked attacks by hammerhead sharks up until 2022, sources indicate. Hammerhead sharks have not killed any humans, according to the International Shark Attack Files, while great white sharks are responsible for 292 attacks and 59 deaths, as reported.
I saw the shark's head above the water. I thought of my wife and my kid and I was just like I cannot die. I cannot die right now.
Unanswered questions persist about both shark attacks, including the species that attacked James Eastman and the specifics of Adam Baber's encounter. The rarity of hammerhead attacks contrasts with the more common threat from great whites, underscoring the unpredictable nature of such events in coastal waters.
The next few months will be challenging and costly for them, being out of work while James recovers from surgery and works through physical therapy to get back on his feet...
Today a Hammerhead attacked my foil(previous to video), knocked me off my board and then circled back on me eventually and thankfully changing his mind. Sorry for my screaming I thought I was done for.