Swimmers Describe Horrific Moment of Seeing Man Attacked by Shark in San Diego

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Thermostats are climbing from coast to coast, and beaches across the country grow more and more busy with each passing day. The incoming sweltering summer weather brings the promise of lazy days swimming and surfing in the sun- along with all the other risks that come with a summer spent on the beach.

The summer season in San Diego got off to a bad early start on June 2 when a popular beach had to briefly close following a vicious shark attack. Luckily, the victim was not alone on the beach that day, and the two men who helped rescue him shared their perspectives on the horrific experience.

Cameron Whiting and Kevin Barret, who spoke to @abc7la about Sunday's shark attack , are part of a weekly swim group that meets every Sunday morning at Del Mar Beach in San Diego , hitting the waves before the lifeguards arrive. June 2 started out like any other swim day, until another swimmer, a 46-year-old man named "Caleb," began screaming in horror and pain as he was attacked by something under the water.

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"He said, he's screaming shark, he's screaming shark," said Kevin Barret. "Then we heard someone screaming, and you could tell it was serious from just the tone in the screams."

Despite the danger lurking in the water, Barret and Whiting jumped into the active shark attack to save their companion and pull him back to shore. While the extent of Caleb's injuries weren't immediately obvious, they saw a lot of blood in the water and noticed that he'd been bitten in the chest and had a large gash in his hand, which they later learned happened when Caleb tried to punch the shark.

Cameron Whiting told ABC 7 LA that a nearby surfer gave him his board , which Whiting used to transport Caleb back to safety. Once on shore, Caleb had several more lucky breaks. Del Mar Beach lifeguards had shown up for their shift early that day, and immediately sprang into action- along with another unlikely hero.

"There was actually an ER doctor who happened to be walking by on the beach as well, so he came and he helped out, too. I think all stars were aligning to help Caleb through this," Barret told ABC 7 LA .

Updates on the San Diego Shark Attack

Thanks to Barret, Whiting, and all the other helpers, Caleb pulled through. ABC News reported that Caleb was quickly transported to Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla with " extensive injuries ," including bites on his torso, left arm and hand. However, officials reprotedly said his injuries were "significant but not believed to be life-threatening," and he is now recovering at the La Jolla hospital in stable condition.

Whiting and Barret never did identify the shark that attacked their swim buddy, but they noted that juvenile great whites are "the biggest threat in that area." According to CBS 8 San Diego , shark researchers from California State Long Beach came and collected water samples near the attack site and DNA samples from Caleb's wetsuit. They hope to use these samples to identify the specific type of shark that attacked Caleb and determine whether the shark is "just passing through the Del Mar area, or if it is lingering."

As per local policy, Del Mar Beach was closed to swimmers for two days after Sunday morning's shark attack. It should reopen today at 9 am.

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