Two swimmers recount separate sea lion attacks in Mission Beach

Two people say they were victims in separate attacks by a sea lion at Mission Beach on Friday.

Both victims, a 61-year-old man who was swimming and a woman who was snorkeling near Mission Point Park, were taken to the hospital.

Matt Beatty was halfway done with his daily ocean swim near the lifeguard station Friday night at Mision Beach when he felt more than just a tug on his leg.

"I feel this bite on my leg," he said of the initial encounter. "It didn't hurt much, but it was like a pull, and then I punched it, punched the animal thinking it was a shark because I've heard that that's what you do with sharks, and they go away. Then the sea lion went around and tried to attack me again."

Beatty, who swims daily at Mission Beach, quickly realized this wasn't a shark or one of the friendlier sea lions he'd seen on dozens of occasions.

"This was the meanest sea lion I've ever seen," Beatty said.

His bandages, bruises, and scrapes all show the aftermath of an ocean fight.

"I have a massive tooth bite. They took a piece out of my leg right here," Beatty says, pointing to his bandage.

Beatty believes his struggle lasted about five minutes before a nearby boogie boarder and San Diego lifeguards rescued him.

"It got me with its claws several times, and I was able to hit back with my fins, which I fortunately was wearing," he said.

Beatty ended up in a hospital room. Jessica Linares did, too. Linares told ABC 10News she was snorkeling with a friend earlier in the day, around noon, and didn't even see the sea lion before it bit her. Even though she was wearing a wetsuit, the sea lion's bite required her to receive five stitches in her thigh.

Linares says her friend, who has been helping with requests since the incident, was contacted by NOAA for more information. She has not been contacted herself. She is currently seeking access to a rabies vaccine and is concerned about any disease the sea lion may carry. Beatty has similar concerns.

Beatty says this is different from what we often see up the coast at La Jolla Cove. People, often tourists, get too close and agitate the sea lions who frequently congregate on the rocks.

Both Beatty and Linares say they were just swimming and have no idea why the animal attacked them.

"This animal approached me for no reason at all that I can discern, he said. "There was no sign of a pup or other sea lions. It was just a random attack."

Both Linares and Beatty believe it was the same sea lion, given the infrequency of attacks like these.

"I'm just worried about that one sea lion," he said. "I would recognize that sea lion in a lineup."