"Shark Attack Survivors News Archive"

10/29/2011 Eric Tarantino ( California )

Shark Attack Related Incident News Archive for 2011 Shark Attacks and Related Incidents.
Post Reply
alb
Posts: 1569
Joined: Fri Jun 18, 2010 7:41 pm

Re: 10/29/2011 Eric Tarantino ( California )

Post by alb »

Shark Attack Victim Details Great White Encounter


MONTEREY, Calif. - For the first time, a Monterey man attacked by a shark describes what it's like to come face-to-face with a great white.

"I just remember hearing a crunch, darkness and next thing I knew was in the water, underwater," says Eric Tarantino, shark attack victim. "Everything was quiet and I could see the shark."

Tarantino survived after a great white attacked him off the coast of Marina and plans to get back in the water before the new year.

The scars on Tarantino's arm and neck are almost healed but, memories of his frightening experience in the water remain.

"I got hit out of nowhere," says Tarantino. "I didn't see anything. It hit my arm. I don't know if I was resting or still paddling. It took me a second to realize what was going on."

Tarantino said everything seemed normal when he paddled into the water at Marina State Beach almost two months ago, but that changed within minutes.

"It didn't come back to me but my arm was in its mouth," says Tarantino. "When I opened my eyes, I pulled it out and kicked it at the same time. That's why my arm got sliced sideways."

The shark bit him in the arm and neck and left teeth marks on his surfboard 19 inches across.

"I was lucky to go into instant shock and not feel any pain and get myself back to the beach," says Tarantino. "The only real scary part is when I realized how vulnerable I was, flailing, bleeding out to sea."

The biggest thing that Tarantino got from this whole experience was the support from the surfing community. This week, they will be giving him the exact same board that saved his life.

While he's almost physically healed, he said the true test will be mentally when he gets back in the water.

"It's too fun not to want to keep surfing," says Tarantino. "Getting back in the water will be a test, but that's when I know I'm good and back to everyday and that's what I want."

He also wants to thank the two Naval Postgraduate students who helped pull him out of the water.

On Thursday, Vernor Surfboards in Watsonville plans to give him a surfboard and wet suit, plus money to help pay for his medical bills. The owners started up a foundation for him.

http://www.kionrightnow.com/
We have another tool we are building at https://sharkattacks.net
alb
Posts: 1569
Joined: Fri Jun 18, 2010 7:41 pm

Re: 10/29/2011 Eric Tarantino ( California )

Post by alb »

eric-tarantino1.jpg
eric-tarantino1.jpg (40.58 KiB) Viewed 21259 times
eric-tarantino3.jpg
We have another tool we are building at https://sharkattacks.net
alb
Posts: 1569
Joined: Fri Jun 18, 2010 7:41 pm

10/29/2011 Eric Tarantino ( California )

Post by alb »

MONTEREY, Calif. (AP) — A shark attacked a surfer Saturday off a California beach, biting him in the neck and arm and sending him to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Eric Tarantino of Monterey was attacked around 7 a.m., just minutes after he and a friend entered the water at Marina State Beach, The Monterey Herald reported
The shark bit Tarantino, 27, on the neck and right forearm and left teeth marks in his red surfboard.
eric-tarantino.jpg
eric-tarantino.jpg (33.63 KiB) Viewed 22145 times
eric-tarantino2.jpg

Tarantino's friend, Brandon McKibben of Salinas, helped him out of the water, and other surfers used beach towels to try to stop his bleeding.

Tarantino was taken to a local airport by paramedics and flown to the San Jose Regional Medical Center, authorities said.

His condition wasn't immediately known. However, Dana M. Jones, Monterey Sector Superintendent for the California Department of Parks and Recreation, said Tarantino's injuries did not appear to be life-threatening.

Following the attack, Tarantino's damaged surfboard was placed in the back of a state park ranger's patrol car in the beach parking lot. A few fellow surfers stopped to examine the board's new gashes.

Jones said signs will be posted along the area's beaches advising of the shark danger and recommending that beach-goers refrain from water activities for the next week.

She said the waters will be observed in the coming days for additional shark activity.


Read more: http://www.seattlepi.com/
We have another tool we are building at https://sharkattacks.net
Post Reply

Return to “2011 Shark Attack and Related Incidents”