Shark Attack on Surfer Brings Paddleboarder to Rescue

A stand up paddle boarder rescued a woman who was surfing The Cove in Seaside, Oregon, adding to the list of shark attacks in the area and casting paddleboarding in a more positive light in the eyes of some surfers.

Watch report on shark attack at The Cove in Seaside, Oregon, including the paddleboard rescue.

SEASIDE, Oregon – A woman about 30 years-old was surfing The Cove, a popular surf spot in Seaside, Oregon, when an alleged shark took a bite of her and her board. Moments later, a stand up paddle boarder came to her rescue by putting the surfer on his board and paddling ashore. (Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for updates)

"There was a big splash. I saw that. And then the stand-up paddler paddled over and got her on his board," said witness Johnny Rodgers, according to Komonew.com. "They paddled north a ways and then they came in where they could be washed in." Scott Earling, another witness said, "I saw the board. There's a chunk out of it and there's a little blood on the board. Something definitely took a chunk out of that board."

After receiving some treatment on the beach, she was taken by ambulance to Legacy Emanuel Hospital in Portland. Neither the name of the woman nor of the stand up paddler has been released but reports indicate that she is not in any critical condition. The incident happened last Tuesday, December 6, 2011, following two other shark attacks earlier in the season, one on October 10th at the same location and another on October 20th south of Newport, Oregon, none of them fatal. Ocean experts believe that this last incident could have been a playful sea lion rather than a shark. (Read SUP Surfers Report Sightings.)

How do you think a stand up paddle board affect your possible shark encounter?