California Shark Attack Victim Punched It In The Face Before He Was Rescued

A two-mile stretch of a popular California beach was closed on Sunday (June 2) after a 46-year-old man was attacked by a shark . Authorities said that the man was swimming off the coast of San Diego, in Del Mar Beach, when a shark started biting him.

One of the man's friends, Jenna Beal , told NBC's TODAY that he punched the shark in the face , allowing other swimmers to drag him back to the shore.

"He punched it in the face, he punched it in the nose," she said. "I do know he had a gash on his hand from a shark's tooth."

Once back on the beach, lifeguards provided medical attention until an ambulance arrived to take him to the hospital. The man suffered bites to his left hand, left arm, and torso but was expected to survive.

California State University Long Beach's Shark Lab Director Chris Lowe told CNN that researchers were called to the beach to collect water samples and DNA samples from the man's wetsuit to identify the type of shark responsible for the rare attack. Lowe said he believed the shark was likely a juvenile white shark.

"Sharks are known to avoid people, but every once in a while, they make mistakes," Lowe said. "It's possible the shark involved in this incident was literally just passing through and hadn't had a chance to encounter people."