Santa Cruz issues 4-day ban after great white shark attack

A kayaker says he was attacked by a great white shark off the coast of Santa Cruz Tuesday. A kayaker says he was attacked by a great white shark off the coast of Santa Cruz Tuesday. Photo: Phil Gomez / KSBW Photo: Phil Gomez / KSBW Image 1 of / 25 Caption Close Santa Cruz issues 4-day ban after great white shark attack 1 / 25 Back to Gallery

A great white shark attacked a kayaker who was paddling beyond the kelp bed offshore from Steamer Lane on the westside of Santa Cruz Tuesday.

The City of Santa Cruz is ordering everyone to stay out of the ocean for a 1-mile radius of coastline, between the San Lorenzo River mouth and Fair Avenue, for four days. The water ban is part of the county's official "Shark Incident Action Plan."

The city will order all kayak rental shops and surf schools to shutdown until Saturday. Kids in junior guards will be restricted to land-based activities.

The shark attacked happened at 11 a.m. on Tuesday. Steve Lawson felt something nudge his kayak, so he looked down, and saw a great white shark. The shark then attacked his kayak, biting into the front, and Lawson was thrown into the water.

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"A seasoned kayaker had his kayak attacked by a large shark about a quarter mile out from Steamer Lane," deputy city manager Scott Collins said.

Lawson used his marine radio to alert the harbor patrol that he needed help. He was rescued on a harbor patrol boat and escaped from the water uninjured.

A Surfline.com livestreaming camera showed more than a dozen surfers catching five-foot waves at Steamer Lane nearby the location of the shark attack. After word spread of the aggressive great white, the lineup emptied out by 1 p.m. Firefighters ordered surfers to stay out of the water.

A jet ski and harbor patrol boat were still patrolling the area looking for the shark at 1:30 p.m.

Another great white shark was spotted on Sunday during the Jack O'Neill memorial paddleout at Pleasure Point in Santa Cruz. A few surfers witnessed a 15-foot shark breach the surface. More than 3,000 surfers were in the water at the time.

Lawson said he's been kayaking for 25 years, and nothing like this has ever happened before. A bite mark from the shark's teeth was visible on his kayak.

Santa Cruz Fire Chief Jim Frawley said of Tuesday's shark attack, "Attacks like these are extremely rare in Santa Cruz County, and we are so thankful that the kayaker was uninjured. This is a reminder that swimming in the ocean does carry some risk and we encourage all swimmers, surfers, and kayakers to be mindful of their surroundings and follow directions of lifeguards and Marine Safety staff."

The fire department wrote in a press release, "Per the Santa Cruz County Shark Incident Action Plan, the City will post Main Beach, Cowell Beach and other beach access points within a 1- mile radius of the attack for four days. All water activities at the beach will be prohibited until sunrise Saturday (July 15th) morning. Marine safety staff and lifeguards will monitor the area in the meantime."

Lawson plans to continue kayaking at sea despite his scary encounter with one of the ocean's top predators.