15-Year-Old Boy Scout Bitten by Shark While Kayaking off California’s Catalina Island

A 15-year-old Boy Scout was bitten by a shark while boating with his father off southern California’s Catalina Island.

“The patient and their father were kayaking just offshore on Parsons Landing. Their boat was bumped by a shark of unknown and size and type,” LA County Lifeguards spokesman Pono Barnes explained.

“During the encounter, the patient had placed their hand in the water, and they were bitten," Barnes said.

The father and son were in the water off a quiet, secluded part of the island.

Boy Scouts of Emerald Bay told KCBS that the pair were at a youth camp, and the teen received first aid immediately. But the situation was also serious enough to require an airlift.

Due to the injury and the remote location, the 15-year-old was transported to UCLA Medical Center, where he underwent surgery and is now in stable condition.

Santa Catalina, more commonly known simply as Catalina, is part of the Channel Islands off the coast of Southern California. The 74-square-mile island is part of Los Angeles County and is a popular getaway for boaters and nature-lovers. It also lent its name to a Mac operating system.

But to prevent it from becoming famous for shark attacks, the area where the incident happened was temporarily closed off.

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