Surfer describes close encounter with shark along Peninsula coast: 'Saw this big mouth'
"I looked back and then saw this big mouth grabbing onto my board."
MONTARA, Calif. (KGO) -- A close call for a surfer after a shark bit his board in Montara on Saturday.
Surfer Jens Heller says he paddled out along the San Mateo County coast, and hadn't even caught a wave yet when he felt something hit his foot and knock him off his board.
"I looked back and then saw this big mouth grabbing onto my board, and then it bit I guess, like here, and then also on this side you can see the mouth here," he said. "I just remember being in the water, looking back, seeing this black eye and the teeth of the shark, and then I just tried to grab my board as fast as possible and come back in."
Other surfers told him the shark was about 10 feet long.
Heller says his board is not worth repairing and said he may hang it up on his wall, saying it's now iconic.
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A California State Parks official sent ABC7 News a statement writing:
"At approximately 2 p.m. today, State Park lifeguards and peace officers responded to a non-injury shark incident that occurred approximately 100 yards offshore at Montara State Beach in San Mateo County. A surfboard sustained damage consistent with that of a shark bite. Lifeguards immediately cleared the water and posted the beach with shark closure signage, effective for 48 hours from the time of the incident. California State Parks would like to remind visitors that sharks are an important part of the coastal ecosystem and that interactions between humans and sharks are rare."
